


Of Astronauts and Pirates

by br0kenc0mpasss (brokencompasss)



Category: ATEEZ (Band), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alien Sex, Astronauts, Interspecies, Lots of Doctor Who references, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Minor Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Polyamory, Romance is secondary, Sci-Fi, Soft SF, Space Pirates, THERE IS PLOT, but there is also romance, consensual angry sex, eden cameo, questionable sexual content, time travel mentions, vague description of alien genitals, very poor concept of physics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:33:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28805901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokencompasss/pseuds/br0kenc0mpasss
Summary: “To own your path. Own your thoughts and own your life. Only when you lost everything did you realize you own yourself.” Hongjoong shrugged. “You never knew anything, and you will never know everything.”Chan nodded. “But now I know the gap is closing. To be here, to see everything you showed us the past couple da--nubs. Past couple nubs. Those things were more than I have seen in my whole life. I have to even admit running from the police was thrilling.”The best things in life come unexpectedly, and some change you forever.The SKZ crew was ready to go back to Earth after a mission on Mars when they faced something they were not expecting. Meanwhile, in another galaxy, the ATZ crew was making sure to stay on the low as the outlaws they were. But what if destiny opted to make opposites cross paths?What if going back to Earth was impossible because people can't go back to a planet that doesn't exist?
Relationships: Bang Chan/Kim Hongjoong, Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 13
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **disclaimer:** I am a huge sci-fi lover, that doesn't mean in any way or form that I know what I'm writing about. I have failed math, physics, and chemistry more times than I can count, and everything mentioned here that could sound slightly smart is actually just a bunch of technobabble. You know, science **fiction** , so please don't come at me, my math teacher in high school has already called me dumb to my face. This is just the product of sleepless nights and idleness due to quarantine and lack of jobs.  
> That said, I'm not even as funny or creative as Douglas Adams, or good at writing like Neil Gaiman, nor good with plots like Russell T. Davis and Steven Moffat (questionable). Sadly, this work of fiction isn't "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", but it's certainly inspired by some of it. I apologize in advance for the inconsistencies, I'll leave it to timelords to fix these ones! ;)  
> 

_"All of time and space; everywhere and anywhere; every star that ever was. Where do you want to start?"_

– _The Doctor_

  
  


_**2020, sometime in October** _

  
  


There was something eerie and calming about the vastness of space, how it went for millions and millions of light-years, hiding mysteries mankind would never uncover. The Universe kept expanding faster each time they measured, bringing up hopes of it being so alive they would make the most brilliant discoveries soon.

The darkness that extended itself all around could be concealing dangerous things, venomous gases, satellites pieces out of orbit, anything. 

And still, space was Commander Bang Chan’s favorite thing ever since he was a little kid. He wondered what his seven-year-old self would think if he told him that one day he would be leading a mission in space and not just imagining adventures in the middle of the night as his eyes scanned perfect copies of real constellations glued to his ceiling in glow in the dark plastic stars. Dreaming of spaceships and battles, new planets and civilizations. He guessed that little Chan would be proud, he would feel accomplished because his dreams were not silly, not delusional, he did make them come true. 

He heard the door to the control room open, and footsteps coming towards him. Turning his chair around he faced his crew, the seven astronauts he chose to come with him. They had been in space for three months now, their mission was a success and they were finally on their way back to Earth. “Happy to be going home?” he asked them as they scattered around to sit down. 

“I can’t wait to finally spend a whole day in my bed. I’ve never stayed away from home for this long!” said Jeongin, their youngest. Honestly, Chan was proud of all of them, but Jeongin was a special case. He started as a very uncertain trainee, scared of making decisions, unsure if he was ever going to make it. And here he was, their reliable mission payload specialist. 

Jisung laughed from where he stood, on the corner checking the radar. “I can’t wait to start training for a new mission. Earth is dull, space is way cooler,” he grinned, “my Instagram feed will look amazing with all the pictures we took”. His voice held excitement, and his eyes sparkled at the thought of leaving Earth as soon as they got back there. “I have to agree,” Seungmin said, concentrated on the computer in front of him. “Not many things on Earth are more exciting than space.”

“There are no sunny beaches in space,” Felix pointed out and they laughed, “I like going to the beach, alright?” he chuckled and relaxed in his chair while they all started a long discussion about the pros and cons of Earth versus Space.

Chan felt luck watching them. His crew was funny, they got along, they were bringing the samples they needed. They would be home in less than a week, they could even see Earth in the distance if they zoomed the cameras enough. The little blue dot floating in the Solar System, the one place they could call home. 

He missed South Korea, but he also missed Australia and he would probably spend some time there with his family once they got a break as a reward. As Felix said, he would be able to enjoy the beach, homemade food instead of dried food that barely tasted like the real thing anymore. After three months, he would have to make his body used to real food again, it would be painful, but the thought of steaks and noodles assured him it would be worth it.

“Commander,” Changbin’s serious voice took him out of his reverie, and he knew that instant he wasn’t the only one to take the hint something wasn’t right. Their pilot never sounded that dark. Chan looked at him and then at the screen he was watching.

There were a series of contact tries with the ground control, the first ones shone with a green spot beside them, showing they had been received and replied to. The five most recent ones shine with a red spot, though. If they had been received on Earth but not replied to, the spot would be yellow. Red meant it didn’t reach ground control.

“How long has this been happening?” Chan’s voice echoed, there was silence in the control room, everyone’s eyes were on them. Changbin checked the timestamps, looking even more puzzled. “A while, I think. When was the last contact we had with the base?” Changbin turned to Chan and then Jisung, who was typing fast and focusing on the messages on his screen. 

He sighed and shrugged, dropped his hands from the keyboard, and ran his fingers through his hair. “A couple of days ago. They said everything was good on their end and we were authorized to get back. I just ran a system scan to see if there was something wrong with our communication network, the problem isn’t on us.” Jisung turned to them and shrugged. Chan frowned and turned back to his screen, there was nothing in orbit that would give them trouble with the signal, they were completely alone. “That’s weird,” he mumbled.

“Very.” Minho’s voice got eyes turning to him, and he stood up to stand right behind Chan’s chair, his hands on his shoulders in an intimate gesture the crew was growing used to. “Can you open the big screen to check on Earth? The system captured something, like waves emanating from that direction. Maybe it’s a satellite fail keeping us from communicating.” Chan nodded and typed the codes, a big hologram screen opened right in front of them, the perfect image of space.

And there was Earth.

Or the space it was supposed to be, because it didn’t matter how much Chan zoomed in, they couldn’t find a planet. That wasn’t happening the first time, or the second, or around ten hours ago when they last checked just for fun. “What the-” Chan started but wasn’t able to complete his sentence. There were waves, yes. Blue and white waves coming towards them with what seemed to be a meteor blast. He would have asked Changbin to retreat the ship, he would have told everyone to buckle up, but he couldn’t. Time wasn’t on their side and as soon as they realized what was going on they were caught by the impact of rocks and radioactive waves hitting the metal.

Chan lost balance, the noise was too loud, his crew was screaming.

Then came the void.

  
  
  
  


_**Lacebos, sometime after “The End”** _

  
  


“Ten grand and we don’t talk about it anymore,” The blue-haired man said with a feline smile on his lips, eyes on the man sitting in front of him in the backroom of the Siren’s Cove, a club that was mostly attended by what he liked to call the top tier bona fide beings of the Universe. It probably didn’t look like it for anyone who selectively saw the Siren’s Cove only, but Lacebos was a heavily policed planet. All of its urban areas were filled with Galaxy Police stations, and to land your ship there one needed a lot of proof they were not there to cause any trouble.

That was if one used the legal methods. He couldn’t care less, and neither could the eelnoth in front of him. He was the typical male of the species, a humanoid figure with four arms, light green skin, and a long pointy nose. His lipless mouth was pressed in a thin line and his round glasses shone under the yellowish light, with his dark green hair slicked back, he looked like a caricature. There were other two eelnoth by the door, broader, serious. Eelnoth were never his favorite people, they had no sense of humor, were dense to the bone, but good to negotiate with.

Specially collectors of illegal items, which for a heavily policed planet, Lacebos had a lot.

The problem was they hated every other species, and he knew this eelnoth was still trying to figure him out. “What did you say your name was again?” the eelnoth asked, and the urge to roll his eyes was strong, but not stronger than the pull he felt towards money. He blinked and softened his smile, trying to sound polite. “Hongjoong. My name is Hongjoong, Mr. Grek. I was sent by-”

Mr. Grek lifted his six-fingered hand. “I know,” the eelnoth sighed. “Usually, ten grand is too much for a broken item, but I recognize the rarity of this one.” He placed his fingers on top of the table, brushing them over the wristwatch with broken glass between them. “I will keep it. You’ll get your ten grand and you will come back to me with more items when you find them. Deal?”

Hongjoong took a deep breath the moment the heavy door closed behind him and took large steps towards the bar, where he knew he would find his people. His long black coat swished behind him as he made a beeline to stand beside the black-haired person sitting on the bar. “I’m done, let’s go!” He tugged on the sleeve of the dark red jacket the vunoi was wearing, bringing his attention to him. “Cap!” the vunoi smiled, his eyes with vibrant honey-colored irises turned into small crescents. Hongjoong doesn’t even know why San still tries to act surprised when his good eyesight and sense of smell had most likely announced his presence at least ten meters away. “I thought it would take you longer,” he downed the content of his glass and pushed himself off the stool he had been sitting on.

“I thought so, too. But he agreed on the price without much talking, which is rare but good,” he sighed and noticed how the eelnoth girl behind the bar eyed San, and how he took one of her four hands in his. “I’ll come back soon, don’t miss me too much!” he winked at her and she smiled, eagerly nodding.

Hongjoong may or not have dragged San out by the collar of his expensive jacket.

“I told you to stay on the low, why were you flirting with an eelnoth?” Hongjoong groaned, the road to where their ship had landed was crowded. The clandestine parking spots took the “hiding in plain view” motto too seriously. So much they chose the market region for it. The narrow streets could be confusing for a first-timer, which was not their case, they knew exactly what to avoid and where to turn. Hongjoong had his coat closed, his gun hidden behind it, and San kept a straight face, ignoring the flashing lights, moving objects, and suspicious offers of a good time. The only indication he was even paying attention was the subtle twitch of his lips now and then.

“Extra! Extra! Special edition!” a young eelnoth stood on a corner, newspapers in all his four hands, waving them around. Apparently, something important was on the news.

“Cap, can we get one?” San asked, stopping in his tracks. Hongjoong didn’t want to stay much longer, he tossed San a nickel to buy the newspaper and kept walking. His friend would catch up. Hongjoong didn’t know why San liked so much to buy those whenever they landed somewhere, it wasn’t like important news didn’t reach them. Especially important news they didn’t care about, those with their faces on it, offering good money to whoever caught them. It was bullshit, he thought, if someone deserved money for catching them, it was him. He deserved to be paid enormous amounts for putting up with his crew’s daily craziness.

He got to the clandestine parking lot and groaned. Hongjoong tossed another coin - a more valuable one - to the menacing and annoyed-looking guard, a muscled draan he suspected was dying to use his fists on him. He didn’t blame the man, his species were trained for military purposes, and if they didn’t escape from Lacebos at a young age as Jongho did, the tendency was to have a brain focused on violence only. In Hongjoong’s opinion, it was a waste to have them trained for that purpose only, with their heightened hearing and vision the draan were very useful people. Not to mention their patience, and how centered they were.

He was glad they managed to raise Jongho away from the military.

“And we’re not in the Most Wanted section. That’s such a bummer.” San rolled the newspaper in his hand when he caught up. Their ship was not the biggest one in the galaxy, but it was good enough. The ATZ crew managed to upgrade it with parts of better and newer ships, making it fast enough to escape the police. The black and orange bodywork was new, and in Hongjoong’s opinion, it looked the right amount of cool and scary, with a skull painted on the bottom to show everyone what they were. He pointed the control to the door and a ramp opened to help them inside. “A bummer? I think that’s a victory considering we keep up with our work!” he laughed and unbuttoned his coat as soon as they were inside.

Hongjoong heard the commotion in the control room as he approached, most of the crew was laying around, leaving only Seonghwa standing with a smile on his lips. His skin had a faint glint under the white lights, and his pointy ears were adorned with silver rings, much like Hongjoong’s. “You’re back!” his deep but cheerful voice brought a smile on the captain’s lips. “We cleaned the ship while you were gone!”

“Correction!” Mingi groaned from the floor, laying on his back, with Yunho’s head resting on his belly. They were two struk, both with long legs, very light lavender eyes, and both seemed to share one single brain cell. Hongjoong didn’t know if that was a real thing among struk. “Seonghwa forced us to clean. He deceived us, told us we would play a game while you were gone, and we had to clean.”

Hongjoong chuckled, and San full-on laughed, more than happy he escaped the chore. “Good job, Hwa!” He grinned at his second in command and best friend. “Now, everyone up, we need to get out of here quickly. We can’t be noticed, I’m not in the mood to run from the police for some time.”

With complaints and mumbles of how tired they were, they got up and each went to their designated station. In a matter of seconds, the ATZ crew was leaving Lacebos’ atmosphere.

“There’s a patrol not too far, Captain!” Wooyoung shouted on the radio, from his position in the control room. Their radar was programmed to detect every patrol on their route ahead enough to allow them time to find a safe way to get through. Hongjoong had been sitting on the kitchen table with Seonghwa for some time now, explaining how much he got for the wristwatch, and how he found San flirting with the bartender, but stopped when he heard Wooyoung’s voice. The kitchen wasn’t too big, enough to fit all the eight of them if needed, but they rarely ever went there all at once. There was a big round table with eight chairs, a freezer, the food duplicator, and cabinets with food, snacks, and drinks. Seonghwa sighed, “I think they’re starting to figure out what routes are taken by illegal ships.”  
  
Hongjoong stood up and pressed the communicator button. “Take a detour, Woo. We don’t want to race them this time!” A second later he heard Wooyoung’s laugh through the speaker, “a detour it is, Captain!”

He sat back where he was and looked up at Seonghwa. “What do you think Eden wants? I don’t like it when he summons us,” he sighed, stretching his arms above his head as Seonghwa munched on a snack. “I don’t know, Joong. Maybe he wants to try and get us to find something for him again.”

“You remember how that went last time, right? Galaxy Police all over the place, we almost got caught, Mingi’s face was in every wanted sign. I told him that was the last time.” Hongjoong spit and Seonghwa nodded in agreement. “Why did I even accept going there?”  
  
“Because,” Seonghwa smiled, “deep down you think you owe him something. And it’s okay, I would probably have the same kind of feelings.” He eyed the purple snack he was holding, his black hair falling over half of his face. “And deep down you know he wants what’s best for you.”

He nodded. Seonghwa was right, he knew it. “He better give up, it’s too late. I like living like this.” And with a smile, he was ready to make another remark, but the sudden bump in the ship got him falling off his chair. And it was only one bump, it felt like they had been violently pushed. The utensils in the kitchen shook, things fell and Hongjoong saw Seonghwa crawl towards him and hold his hand for dear life. As sudden as it started, it was over. He jumped on his feet and pressed the communicator button. “Wooyoung, what happened?”  
  
“Cap Joong, you better come here,” his voice was calm, but something was off. Hongjoong and Seonghwa exchanged a look and ran as fast as they could to the control room.

All eight of them stood facing the wide window that showed what got Wooyoung speechless. Right in front of them, drifting, was a spaceship. A foreign one. “I ran a scan, it’s not a police ship, neither anything we have in our database. I know for sure it isn’t vunoi.” Wooyoung explained, his vibrant honey-colored eyes mirrored San’s, his posture indicating he was completely sure of what he was talking about. “Not yondir either,” Yeosang sighed. He knew he had spent enough time in the troops with Seonghwa before they joined Hongjoong’s crew.

That was weird.  
  
The ship looked like it had seen better times, the bodywork was smashed in several parts, the paint was chipped, and it didn’t look like anyone was piloting it. 

“Whatever hit it, almost got us. There was this blue and white wave coming when we took the detour. I managed to duck us, but I can say I saw some meteors or rocks or something. I’m pretty sure we would’ve ended up like them.” Wooyoung said and looked at Hongjoong for instructions on how to proceed. Their captain stared at the ship, something inside him said they should turn around and leave, but there was something about it that bothered him. “Wooyoung, run a scan. Check if there is anyone in there.” At his order, Wooyoung started the scan, missing how everyone looked at Hongjoong.

It was Mingi who spoke first. “This could be a trap, you know? To attract us, keep us in place, capture us.” Hongjoong nodded, he was aware of that. 

“There’s something about it that isn’t making sense, though,” Hongjoong said and turned to Wooyoung. “So?”  
  
Wooyoung raised his eyebrows with a small smile. “Eight people. They’re alive, but unconscious, I think,” he made a pause, and a smirk spread across his lips when he looked at Hongjoong. “Here it says their species. They’re earthlings.”

“Ouch, I’m sure they’d rather be dead,” San said, arms crossed, getting puzzled looks from the rest of the crew. “Did you forget? It was this _nub_.” Still, everyone seemed lost, except for Jongho, who nodded and hummed in agreement. “It’s in the first page of that newspaper San brought, the elimination of Earth was earlier this _nub_.”  
  
“The what?” Yunho frowned, and Seonghwa felt the sudden need to put a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder, he was looking a little pale.

“It was established twenty _shaks_ ago that Earth should end in a ball of fire this _nub_ , they were going to evict the earthlings. At least that was the plan,” San told them. “According to the news, the authority responsible for evicting the earthlings before the inevitable doom didn’t believe the messages that were sent. So the Earth went boom, with earthlings inside.” He shrugged. “Seems like at least eight of them got the memo, huh?”  
  
Hongjoong turned to the glass, Seonghwa’s hand on his shoulder feeling like a faint touch. So Earth was gone, and there were eight remaining humans - earthlings - inside the ship in front of them. “Get three masks ready and prepare the med bay to keep eight people inside. Seonghwa, Yunho, you’re coming with me. We’ll bring them aboard.”

“Excuse me?” Mingi’s voice echoed, making everyone else turn to him. “Trap? Galaxy Police? Did you consider it?” Hongjoong rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mingi, I know, but…”  
  
“Cap, you don’t owe earthlings shit, you know that.” Mingi sighed, gaining a look from Seonghwa. “Okay, whatever. Don’t say I didn’t warn you all.”

Their captain decided he wouldn’t answer, so he just turned around and pulled the goggles resting on his forehead over his eyes, grabbing the mask Yeosang handed him. His steps were assertive as he traced the path to the bridge.  
  
_Earthlings.  
  
Eight living earthlings._

Hongjoong pressed the mask to his face, fastened the rocket boots around his feet and as soon as the other two had done the same, he opened the door. 

The rocket boots were easy to control, they were all used to it whenever they needed to hop on another ship. And soon they were facing the locks of the main door to the beat-up ship they found. Seonghwa forced it a few times, but it didn’t open, it didn’t even flinch, probably secured by some system inside. Yunho decided to try too, feet on the metal wall as he pulled on the door handle, activating his boots to make some pressure.  
  
Nothing.  
  
When Hongjoong turned to look at his ship, he could see San and Wooyoung wiping tears off their eyes from how hard they were laughing.  
  
Bastards.  
  
Hongjoong moved his hands around, signaling Yunho and Seonghwa to step aside, and pulled his gun off its holster. If this didn’t work, they would have to bring something to cut the door open. He fired his gun a few times at the handle, the laser slowly breaking the handle until the door flipped open. Finally.

He pulled his goggles up to his head and looked around as soon as they reached the control room. The scene of people on the floor, unconscious and trapped under fallen things, reminded him they were lucky they didn’t get hit by the wave and what was most likely remaining pieces of Earth. Hongjoong looked around to see Yunho run the manual scan on one of the fallen humans, a frail one with light hair and freckles on his face. “This one hit his head pretty hard, but he’s fine. I think they all are, we just need to find their suits to transfer them to the med bay.”  
  
“Good,” Hongjoong said and kneeled the one with more badges on his uniform. He had a cut on his temple, right above his left eyebrow, and fluid was leaking off it, falling down his face. Red. So red. This contrasts with his dark curly hair and pale skin. “Now, where do they keep their suits?” He asked as he stood up, noticing Seonghwa was organizing the humans by size, placing them side by side. “What are you doing?”  
  
“Making it easier for us to find which suit fits who.” Seonghwa shrugged, dropping the smallest one - but broader too! - on the floor. “You can’t tell me it won’t make it easier.”  
  
Hongjoong sighed. He _chose_ this life, didn’t he?

After they had everyone in their suits, they ended up asking Mingi and San to help with the transfer, knowing Jongho and Yeosang would be waiting for the humans in the med bay. When the eight of them had been transferred to their ship, Hongjoong stood in the middle of the earthlings’ control room, looking around. The other two returned to check if they needed anything else and Hongjoong turned to face them. “Now boys, it’s time we do what we do best.” He pulled his mask down and threw them a wicked smirk. “Now we loot.”

They have had far better loot. Some ships they attacked had been carrying real treasures, valuable things they managed to sell for a fortune. Rare items, collectibles, even some magic jewels one time. Hongjoong didn’t expect to find better technology in an Earth’s ship, nor valuable things, since that was probably the less evolved planet in the galaxy. Reason number one why nobody wanted anything to do with earthlings. 

Valuable things were questionable, they found provisions, medicine, weird pills with questionable labels, and a piece of colorful plastic shaped like a little human with a hat that Hongjoong decided to take with him.

He was walking down the bridge, headed to the medic bay with the weird little human in his hands when Yeosang stopped right in front of him. “Captain, do you want to see them?”

Seonghwa had gone with Mingi, San, and Yunho to the storage, where they were going to separate things and choose what to keep. He blinked a few times and stuffed the little piece of plastic inside the pocket of his coat, nodding at Yeosang. “Are they awake?”

Yeosang shook his head and opened the door to the decontamination, stepping inside with Hongjoong. “Not yet. They would soon, but I thought you might want to keep them sedated until we reach Sotune,” he said while purple lights scanned them, only to get them covered in a cloud of sanitizing steam. Doors opened in front of them and they walked into the med bay. “Well thought, Sang. Maybe we should keep them down even during our stay in Sotune, which I expect to be quick.”

“You don’t want Eden to see them?” Yeosang asked, and they stopped in a room where eight beds lined up against a wall. Hongjoong didn’t know if he didn’t want Eden to see them, or if he was scared of watching them wake up. How do you tell someone they don’t have a planet anymore? 

They looked young, responsible, good now that they had been cleaned up. some had bruises on their faces, some had cuts on their cheeks and hands. Jongho was already using the healing laser on every cut that wasn’t too deep, on scratches and blisters that were slowly disappearing. The deeper bruises would request more time and precision, but he knew they would look like nothing ever happened to them as soon as they arrived at Eden’s. “I will talk to Seonghwa,” Hongjoong started, not answering Yeosang’s question. He stopped in front of the bed of the man with curly black hair and the bruise over his eyebrow. “Maybe we could make a stop somewhere before Sotune. Maybe Goonia, you know? Savor some fresh fruit, maybe even leave these guys there.” Hongjoong nodded, distracted. “Yeah, I will talk with Seonghwa, see what he thinks.” He turned to his two doctors and smiled, walking out the med bay and leaving them with questioning looks.

  
  


When Hongjoong went back to the med bay all the humans had been treated already, and he had the following order: nobody should wake up until they left Sotune. They were keeping the planned route.

  
  


Sotune was a small planet, land of tall trees with red leaves and white flowers, where the vunoi called home. The planet had two suns and three moons that shone in its orange sky. The city district was filled with neon lights that made the streets look colorful at night, filling all places with gaming spots and clandestine clubs every young person attended at least once in their lives. Most of Sotune was taken by rural areas though, where they cultivated fruits like Yeogette and Keacot. Yeogette was a round, not bigger than fist, yellow and red juicy fruit. It tasted sweet but sour at times and was sold all across the galaxy. People created all kinds of recipes with it, the Yeogette jam being one of the most beloved items of gourmet cuisine. And keacot was a small oval fruit, not bigger than five centimeters, with dark purple skin and a bright pink center, Hongjoong’s favorite. They would always carry dozens of boxes of keacot inside the ship whenever they visited Sotune.

And Eden knew that. He knew he would keep Hongjoong distracted enough to spill what he had been up to if he received him with a big bowl of freshly harvested keacot.  
Hongjoong hated that Eden knew him so well.

After they exchanged pleasantries, Hongjoong found himself and his crew sitting on the long table with the banquet Eden offered them, talking about everything and nothing. The older vunoi would never, ever try Hongjoong while the others were in the same room. Specially Seonghwa, who had once pressed a blade to his neck to protect his captain from some fake - okay, not fake, but Seonghwa didn’t know that - accusations. Ever since then, Eden threads on thin ice with Hongjoong when Seonghwa is around. 

They all ate, Hongjoong enjoyed the keacots and even stuffed his pockets with some when Eden asked him to follow him into his office. He didn’t even have to look over his shoulder to know Seonghwa would soon leave the table to stand right out the door.

“So I heard you met with one of my collectors,” Eden started. His house looked like an old ship that crashed and was never fixed, and as time passed homey things were added. The tapestry and out-of-place windows made Hongjoong wonder constantly if his theory was right. 

He never asked, though.

Not even when he was just a kid roaming the halls and pretending he was one of the rich friends Eden constantly brought to dinner. Young Hongjoong was oblivious to most things related to the man that practically raised him. Eden was fully vunoi, honey-colored eyes, powerful fangs and nocturnal vision, sense of smell, and great eyesight. Hongjoong inherited just a few of it, the nocturnal vision was okay, but his eyes were more of a light brown than the pretty yellow-toned regular vunoi owned. He had also inherited the fangs, not so imposing like Eden’s, or San’s and Wooyoung’s, Hongjoong looked more like a child that didn’t grow properly than a half-vunoi. But when he was stuck inside those strong iron walls from the house that could be more like a vault, he felt like he was just like everyone else.

No wonder he flipped after reality kicked him in the face.

He inhaled and smiled. “I did. Mr. Grek in Lacebos, a nice polished man. I remembered you mentioned he liked peculiar things, I had a peculiar item. Mr. Grek, item, a nice match.” Hongjoong smiled and rested his shoulder against the wall, watching as Eden circled the wooden table in the middle of the room to stand behind the big chair.

“Do you even know what that was, Hongjoong?” Eden’s voice held some concern, not the usual ‘ _you dared disappoint me again you ungrateful child’_ tone. 

Hongjoong shrugged. “Just some wrist thing with numbers, the screen was cracked, the thing was broken. The man that handed it to me said it was unrepairable but still valuable. Just a crackhead in Goonia. Why?”

Eden sighed out loud and nodded. “If the man said it’s unrepairable, then maybe it is.” He smiled softly and Hongjoong returned the smile. “How much did you charge Grek?”

“Uh…” That was dangerous territory. “Two grand?”

“He said you charged him ten grand, Hongjoong.” Now, there it was, the usual tone.

“What?” He squeaked and laughed nervously while he pressed a red button on his belt, discreetly, hoping Eden was more interested in his face. In his head, he prayed his crew had filled the ship to the brim with boxes of keacot and had gotten the message he just sent. This emergency button Mingi created was a lifesaver, quite literally. “No way!”

Eden narrowed his eyes, licked his fangs, and let out some air. “Hongjoong, I will give you one chance to tell me the truth.”

The thrill.

That was what had most likely got him attached to this life. What another lifestyle would give him the chance to run and slide down a long table still full of cutlery while running from his uncle’s attempts to shoot him with a laser gun in the middle of the afternoon in a _tiam_?

Exactly, no other.

And Hongjoong ran, impressed at how bad Eden had gotten at this over time. As expected, as he slid down the ramp of the house he knew like the back of his hand, he saw his ship on and ready to go. One of the shots hit the ground right in front of him, but he laughed at it when he made a beeline and hopped in his ship with the help of Yunho, who had his hand out for him. As they both laughed, they waved at a very unhappy Eden.

This bad blood between them wouldn’t last a _varsa_ , he knew that. And a _varsa_ was just 40 _nubs_ , he would get over it sooner or later.

  
  
“Welcome back aboard!” Yunho laughed when they made it to a safe distance. Hongjoong fixed his clothes, his coat and smiles back at the tall struck guiding him to the control room through the bridge. Hongjoong smiled and fished one of the keacots he stuffed in his pocket earlier, happy to see it didn’t get destroyed during his escape. 

“Thank you. Did you guys get the sign alright?” He asked and nibbled on the fruit. Yunho nodded and hummed, walking beside him. 

“We did, it’s working perfectly. We brought in five boxes of keacot, we didn’t have the time to carry more.” He sounded slightly worried, but the captain simply shrugged.

He fished another keacot from his pocket and handed it to Yunho. “It’s alright, the ones I ate didn’t taste sweet enough yet, we will go back when the harvest is at its peak and snatch more.” He gave the taller man a reassuring smile and resumed walking with him to the control room. His crew was scattered, each one to their function, laughing and chatting loudly. 

Wooyoung was the first to notice his arrival, he raised his hand and waved. “Captain! Where to?”

“Goonia. Take the less-traveled routes, as always. If we come across the police don’t be afraid to run!” He instructed and looked around. “Are Sang and Jongho in the med bay?”

“They are.” Seonghwa turned to him on his chair and stood up, stopping in front of his captain. “They wanted to keep an eye on the humans, said they are about to wake up and you should go there.” He brushed a strand of Hongjoong’s hair behind his ear, both smiling at each other, unaware of the looks they were getting from the others. 

“Come with me?” Hongjoong’s smile got broader when Seonghwa nodded and they headed to the med bay side by side.

  
  


_**ATZ ship, med bay; 3 nubs - or days - after The End Of Earth** _

  
  


The first thing his senses registered was the smell of cleanliness, like laboratories and hospital rooms smelled. There was a hint of menthol, a hint of sweetness, and the faint sound of voices not too far from him. Chan opened his eyes just a little, the lights were too bright and his head felt heavy. He inhaled and noticed how thirsty he was, his tongue felt like it had been glued to his mouth, and he could taste something bitter. 

Moving his arms, he found out he was on a hospital bed.

_What happened?_

He was on a mission, with Minho, Jisung, Changbin, Felix, Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Jeongin. They were fine, they were about to go home. But then something hit them and he fell, he hit his head on something and everything went dark. 

Chan pressed a hand on his temple, where he was sure he got cut, only to find healed skin. Weird. Had they been rescued? Slowly, he sits up, opening his eyes when the lights no longer pain his vision. 

He was indeed in a clean place, it looked like a hospital, but smaller. He had no IV connected to his arms, just a small red adhesive square stuck to his left wrist, which seemed to be what was reading his vital signs and plopping them in a monitor. 

It was probably broken. Everything it showed translated into drawings he had never seen before, or maybe it’s a foreign language. Maybe the Cyrillic alphabet.

“Have you had your inner monologue already or should we wait a little longer to talk to you?” Chan turned his head towards where the voice was coming. That was not a doctor, and certainly not someone that worked for the government. 

The owner of that voice was short, probably his height. He had blue hair and light brown eyes, a cat-ish smile with little fangs looking sharper than the rest of his teeth. He was wearing a pair of yellow goggles on top of his head, and a dark long-sleeved coat over a grey shirt and dark pants. His boots reached the middle of his calves, that wasn’t a doctor. 

“I don’t know. I think I still need some time for my inner monologue, but I need to drink something.” Chan’s voice came out hoarse and broken. The man looked to his left and mumbled something to someone he couldn’t see, someone behind the curtain separating his bed from the other. The others! “Where are the others? Is everyone alright?” Chan could feel himself panicking, what if he lost someone?

The blue-haired man received a glass from the person Chan still couldn’t see and handed it to him. “They are fine, some are still out. Ji… uh…” the man pauses, trying to remember. “Jisung and Changbin are awake too, they are eating with my boys. Are you hungry?”

“I have questions.” He glanced at the glass in his hands and realized the water looked a faint periwinkle blue. “The first one is: what is this?”

The blue-haired man seemed confused he even asked. “Cyclo-floss. You said you were thirsty.”

Chan nodded and sipped a bit. Citric. Good. Very refreshing. “I don’t know, people usually offer regular water.”

“Ew!” The blue-haired man made a very disgusted face. “That’s pure evil. I can’t even think of- ugh! Gross.” He shook his head like he had been trying to picture someone handing him regular water. Chan wanted to ask what was the problem with regular water, plain old water everyone loves but didn’t. The cyclo-floss tastes really good and is very efficient in making him feel better. 

“Right. Sure.” This could be a fever dream, right? Maybe he still didn’t wake up, and this guy is his comatose demon. Or, maybe, he didn’t even survive, hit his head too hard, and is now in the intermediate level between heaven and hell. “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask your name.”

“Oh. It’s Hongjoong. You’re Chan, right? That’s what Jisung and Changbin called you.” He smiled and Chan had an impulsive thought hitting his mind: cute.

“Yeah, I’m Chan. Nice to meet you, Hongjoong.” He smiled back and set the glass on the bedside table. 

Hongjoong tilted his head to the side and frowned. “Is it?” He shrugged and placed both hands in the pockets of his coat. “Come with me, I’ll take you to the kitchen to eat something. Three whole nubs in bed, you’re probably starving.”

Nubs? Chan stood up, his boots were by the bed and he leaned down to put them on. “Nubs, yeah… Three nubs. That’s, uh… a lot, right?” He asked while he followed Hongjoong. The man stopped by the door and turned to him. 

“I don’t know. How do you measure the time Earth takes to rotate on its axis? What do you call a nub on Earth?” He seemed genuinely curious, and Chan felt genuinely lost.

A nub? Earth? “What do you mean by on Earth? Where are we?”

  
  


Hongjoong widened his eyes before making a face that could only mean one thing: _he fucked up._

  
  
  


  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The SKZ Mission boys learned Earth doesn't exist anymore. They need to adjust to this new reality they know nothing about, while they try to cope with being homeless and guided by races they have never heard of. Chan gets to know one of them better, and his mind wants to force him to acknowledge some new things.
> 
> Also, they arrive at Goonia!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you to everyone reading this!
> 
> I apologize if it sounds a bit confusing, and I am here to answer any questions you might have. I'm creating this universe from zero, so there might be things that don't make much sense.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter! And please, please, please, let me know what you think!

Hongjoong fucked up now and then, it wasn’t a big deal. It was normal, everyone did that. His crew did that all the time, and after things calmed down they all laughed it off. But there’s something about fucking up royally like this, throwing at an earthling who had just woken up from being sedated that he wasn’t on Earth. In fact, he could even worsen things and tell him about how Earth wasn’t even a thing anymore.

He didn’t.

But Hongjoong was good at being quick to fix his mistakes, he told Chan they were in space, making it as vague as possible - he may have purposefully ignored him when he asked if they were going home -, and led him to the kitchen to reunite with his crew. Maybe it was the sedative, or maybe Chan decided to trust him right away, but he didn’t question any further, instead of focusing on checking if the other two were alright. And they were, Hongjoong left them with Seonghwa and Wooyoung, two odd the most comforting beings he knew. 

Seonghwa had inherited the yondirs parental instinct. No matter what, he was always the one everyone relied on for advice, always the one everyone went for reassurance. Yeosang too was caring but a lot less parental than Seonghwa. He was more reserved and used his empathy for medical purposes, which made him an amazing healer. Hongjoong was proud of them, of having them around. 

“This cycle-floss thing is amazing, I can feel like there is electricity in my body!” Jisung said and Hongjoong snapped out of his reverie to glance at Jisung. 

“Really?” he asked slowly, now slightly worried as he looked up at Seonghwa.

“He drank four glasses, I think it’s enough.” Seonghwa laughed nervously, pulling the half-empty glass from Jisung. “Too much cycle-floss for a tiny human!” Maybe humans weren’t compatible with it. Maybe they were killing them by giving them the one thing that kept them all hydrated. Hongjoong was already planning on dropping their corpses in the void if they died, no one would even look for them, right?

“But what is this? Is it something from NASA?” Changbin was the one to ask, he seemed a lot less hyper and most likely on his first glass. He was also nibbling on a veal drops chip, not phased by the neon green color of it. Maybe they had neon green chips on Earth?

Chan shook his head. “I think it’s like a new Gatorade flavor, or something more potent. It’s highly hydrating, and maybe a bit too sugary!” He giggled when he looked at Jisung and snatched a chip himself. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Wooyoung exchanged a look, they would have to be very creative if they wanted to keep it all a secret for a little longer.

“It’s just cycle-floss, not Gate-O-Rade, or whatever the name of it is!” Wooyoung chuckled, leaning his body forward a bit. “How did you like the veal drops chips?”

“Tastes like…” Chan trailed off, he looked at the chips as if it would magically answer him. “I can’t describe. It’s sour and salty, but it melts easily, and then it tastes like hazelnut. What is made of?”

“Veal drops,” Wooyoung answered flatly, and everyone knew he would keep going on about it if Jongho hadn’t poked his head inside, laughing.

His eyes sparkled with happiness as he scanned the kitchen. “The others are awake, hydrated, not hungry, and they have a lot of questions. Should I take them to the meeting room?”  
  
Chan still thought it was weird they had healed so well in three - what did Hongjoong call it again? Numbs? Thumbs? He didn’t know, they all seemed very weird and full of terms he didn’t recognize. He guessed that maybe he hit his head too hard, and things were still a little confusing. Especially when they got to the meeting room, the crew seemed nervous and concerned during the long minutes of silence they used to simply stare at them.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and we can answer them all, one at a time. But first I’m going to explain why you’re here in the ATZ.” Hongjoong said slowly and he glanced at Seonghwa for approval. When Seonghwa nodded, he turned back to them. “We found you by accident, your ship was a wreck. We got grazed by a radioactive wave that was probably what hit your bullseye. Along with some…,” Chan watched as he waved his small hands around, and Felix frowned, eyes following the captain’s hands like he could decipher what he was trying to say.

“A meteor shower?” Felix tried.

“Has anyone ever told you that your voice doesn’t match your face?” Wooyoung asked from his seat, gaining a glare from Hongjoong, but a big smile and a laugh from Felix.

“All the time. It’s funny, I can go deeper if I try!” He said, and Wooyoung seemed to be honestly interested, but Seonghwa silenced him by touching his shoulder and giving him a look that said that wasn’t the time.  
Hongjoong sighed, and Chan caught his eyes before he continued. “Let’s say it was a meteor shower, let’s say they were big and propelled by a really strong explosion with a hint of radiation. Like the explosion of a star, but not really. But just as strong. Maybe.” Hongjoong sighed and tried to look at everyone watching him.  
Chan knew something was off.

He had always had a good sixth sense, he knew when things were off. Be it a person that no matter how much he tried he couldn’t like, or a situation that just didn’t sit right with him. If something was off, he knew, and it could take years to be proven something was off, but it always did. And right then he got the feeling the situation was a little shady, with some truth concealed from them.

“You don’t have to spare us anything. We’re grown-ups.” Chan pointed out, getting a nod from the rest of the crew and Minho’s supportive hand on his. He was so happy Minho was fine, he didn’t even think much before he suffocated him with a tight hug when they met outside the kitchen. Like always, he acted like he hated the contact, but then lingered a little, smiling small and shyly looking away. It was adorable.

Hongjoong chuckled and glanced at Seonghwa, then Wooyoung and Mingi. “Your ship is a no-go. It's gone. So we found you, and we rescued you because we saw you were still alive, so for that you’re welcome!” He didn’t give them time to say anything to that, he just continued. “So we took care of your injuries, you will see you’re all healed and in perfect physical condition. Again, you’re welcome. We brought the food you had aboard, and some clothes you had around, we thought you might need those, and-”

“What’s the catch?” Chan asked. It wasn’t that he wasn’t thankful, he was. If they had been left there, they would probably die without communication with ground control. So sure, the ATZ crew finding them was great, they were lucky. But he couldn’t help the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. And Hongjoong wasn’t doing a good job at buttering them up.

“Just tell them.” San groaned, he had been quiet ever since he introduced himself, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the wall on the far end. Seonghwa glared at him, most likely trying to shut him up as he did to Wooyoung. But Hongjoong nodded, agreeing they needed to know.

“Okay. There is a catch.” He sighs. “I just have a question before: were you leaving Earth or going back to Earth?”  
Chan frowned, glanced around at his crew, at Jisung and Changbin who were standing behind his chair with Hyunjin, at Seungmin who seemed to be taking mental notes about every word, at Felix and Jeongin, who seemed to be the less worried of the bunch, and at Minho, who looked like he was internally screaming. “We were on our way to Earth. We finished our mission, we had samples to deliver to the base.” Hyunjin said and pushed a strand of his long dark hair behind his ear.

“Oh well.” Hongjoong pressed his hands together, eyes full of concern. “You can’t go back to Earth.”

Like Chan predicted in his head, everybody in his crew started to talk at once. He caught how Hongjoong rolled his eyes at the chaos. “Whoa, whoa! Let him explain!” Chan asked, and they all turned to Hongjoong and his crew at once. “Why can’t we go home?”

“You know the radiation that hit you? The meteor shower? Well, those were probably pieces of Earth traveling through space by the force of the explosion that destroyed the whole planet.” Hongjoong tries a small, humorless smile.

“Wait. What are you trying to say?” Hyunjing asked, but Chan felt the truth in Hongjoong’s words, in his eyes, and how everyone but him in his crew looked down in respect. 

“I’m trying to say you don’t have a planet to get back to anymore. I’m trying to say Earth, as it has been decreed by the Galaxy General Regimental Council twenty shaks ago, has been imploded with everything it had inside. It’s gone. You don’t have a planet anymore, and I am so, so sorry to be the one delivering you the news.”

“How…” Minho gasped beside Chan, his grip on his hand tightened.

“Why?” Jisung shouted. “How? This can’t be true!”

“It can.” Chan nodded, his eyes were locked with Hongjoong’s. “Ground control was not answering, Earth wasn’t there anymore when we opened the panel. The radioactive waves that hit us, the remnants, it all makes sense, guys. Earth is gone.”

“You mean…” Hyunjin gasped and they all turned to him, his face pale and his body swaying. He parts his lips to say something else, but his knees falter and before someone can act he falls to the floor. Changbin was the first to notice what just happened and to rush to the taller man to try and lift him. He was soon surrounded by people until Hongjoong gave everyone the order to let Yeosang deal with him.

Chan related. He was almost fainting himself, trying not to laugh when in an act of overprotectiveness Changbin tried to carry Hyunjin and ended up almost dropping him again. What kept him grounded was Minho’s hand in his, but if he was going to be honest, his mind was running a thousand miles per hour. This meant that everything he knew, everyone he had ever loved was… gone. Turned into nothing. His eyes were focused on the center of the table, and they moved slowly when Hongjoong sat back across from him. Some Yeosang, Changbin, and Hyunjin were gone, back to the med bay. “Why didn’t they warn people? Why would they destroy a whole planet without giving people a chance to live? How did you… are you even human?”

Hongjoong sighed and took off the goggles he kept on his head. He ran his fingers through his hair, allowing blue strands to fall over his forehead, making him look even younger. He was pretty, Chan thought, but there was something about him that screamed he wasn’t one of them. “They tried to send a warning to some leaders. Apparently you earthlings do not believe in life in outer space. Or that the GGRC had the power to blow up a whole planet. So the evacuation didn’t happen, you were the lucky ones that weren’t there.” he shrugged and then smirked, little pointy fangs were where his canines should be, and his lateral incisors were also more pointy than regular human teeth. There was also the color of his eyes, and now that Seonghwa brushed his hair back, Chan could see pointy ears.

Those were aliens.

“We are the more humanoid of races you can find in the galaxy. I don’t know if it’s scientifically proven, but word says we all came from the same atom, then branched out.” Seonghwa said. “Yeosang and I are yondirs, originally from Eoria. Jongho is a draan, he’s originally from Lacebos, but he was raised in Sotune with Hongjoong, San, and Wooyoung. They’re all vunoi.” He smiled, empathy in his eyes as they all looked confused. “Yunho and Mingi are from Yelrilia, they are from a tall race called struk. I know this probably sounds like a lot, but someday you will look at someone and know exactly what they are.” Hongjoong nodded at that, in approval of what Seonghwa said and how calming he sounded.  
  
“I have a question.” Seungmin seemed like he was just making mental notes during all of that, ready to debunk their story. “If you’re all aliens-”

“That’s a meant term.” Mingi pointed out.

“Sorry.” Seungmin coughs. “If you’re all different races from different planets, how are we all speaking the same language?”

“Universal Language Translation System, or ULTS,” Mingi said. “It allows everyone to communicate, causes fights, wars, weird marriages, and sometimes it’s useless. It has been distributed all across the galaxy, the universe, wherever there is life. It’s a bunch of molecules that hang in the air. And before you ask how the hell you’re breathing, because you all need O2 to survive, I will answer you: Unified Gas System. Anything can survive while breathing it, but it works only inside ships and planets atmospheres.” 

Seungmin frowned, blinked a couple of times, perplexed. Chan was too, because he hadn’t thought about it before Seungmin brought it up, and the explanation was amazing. Jeongin had been quiet too, holding his knees close to his chest. “Do you read minds?” He asked slowly, concern dripping on his voice.

Yunho laughed. “Oh no, no! None of us do, just the syabs, but there are just a few of them left after the war. And now they work for the vangrons, and we don’t like them.” He scrunched up his nose and shook his head, Hongjoong made a disgusted noise, Jongho and Mingi shivered. Chan was under the impression those vangrons were the type of aliens that populated his worst nightmares as a kid.  


Chan had been introduced to what Yunho called his resting chamber, a small cabin with a bed, a pillow, and a bedside table. There was a screen on the wall in front of the bed, and a thermostat, to which he was very grateful. Yunho had shown him where the cleaning rooms were, the place where they showered and decontaminated. As expected, they didn’t use water, it was a cleaning steam he didn’t memorize what it was made of. And as soon as he got the chance, Chan asked to stay in his chamber by himself.   
He had a lot to digest still, and he had the feeling his boys did too. After the meeting, they didn’t look much like the happy noisy bunch he was used to, and as soon as they had a chance, they each retired to their chambers. Resting chambers.  
Except for Changbin and Hyunjin, who were still in the med bay, resting and talking after Hyunjin fainted. The most human reaction possible.

He still felt numb, though.

For a second his mind was euphoric, thinking of all the things he didn’t know about the universe, and had now the chance to see. But when the high was over, he realized he was never going to see anyone he had ever loved again. They were eight humans without a planet, without a family, without a home. He had no idea how people earned money or survived, and even though these guys were super nice and could guide him around, this was a momentary fix. His mind wandered places he didn’t want to go, thinking about people’s final moments, how long it must have taken, if people realized what was going on. Suddenly, everything was too much and that cubicle seemed to be closing in on him. 

His vision was blurry when he opened the door, and the corridor was quiet with the lights dimmed down. Chan remembered someone said they were all going to get some rest, but someone was bound to be in the control room. He didn’t even know where he was going, he just needed to go somewhere. He stumbled on his feet and held on to the walls to avoid the fall. When he reached the end, he could turn either right or left, he chose left. 

It felt like the floor was going down, curving inwards as he went, crawling to a floor beneath the one he was. Maybe he was headed to the storage. Chan was faced yet with another corridor, a straight one that led him to a door with a glass window. Colorful neon lights shone from the inside, and when he peeked he saw the tiny captain on a big chair, his coat draped over the back of his chair. He seemed concentrated on the things happening on the screen, letters, and items he had never seen before flashed on it. Without sparing him a glance, the captain pressed on a button that opened the door. Hongjoong turned around on his chair and the small smile he had on his face disappeared when he saw Chan.

“Are you crying?” Concern dripped off his question, and his eyes scanned him. Chan felt vulnerable, small. Only then he touched his face, it was wet and more tears fell when he blinked. “Come here,” Hongjoong called, pointing a chair beside him.

He obeyed, stepped inside the room, and heard the door closing as he took the seat. Hongjoong had cuffs on his wrists, something he hadn’t noticed before, and his grey shirt clung to his torso, outlining some toned parts of him. He had a pair of headphones he took off and were now resting on his neck and shoulders. “Is there something you want help with?”

Yes. No. Yes. Chan wanted his home planet back, he wanted to know what to expect from the future, he missed his family, he missed home, everything around him made him feel dumb and like a lost kid. He didn’t know if it was the way he looked at Hongjoong, but he didn’t have to voice any of it. 

Hongjoong nodded and leaned forward, placed a hand on his knee. “I am sure nothing makes much sense right now, everything looks like a dead end because you had a life you were sure of, and now it’s gone. Upsetting doesn’t describe this situation, and it’s a lot to compute, right? A whole universe you knew nothing about, and the only place you had for you is now just stardust.” He paused and removed his hand. “But we have all been stardust at some point, we are all just a pile of nothingness that search meaning throughout our lives. We look for meaning in everything, and everyone, and every situation. In the end, we will all go back to what we have always been: stardust. A voice in the void, never being heard. So make the most of it while you’re here, while you can still be seen, be heard, be you. Live every tik like it’s your last, Chan. You’re alive, that’s the best thing there is. And I’m not saying you won’t get emotional now and then, you will, because you’re human.”

Chan listened to everything, his body slowly relaxing because there was something about Hongjoong speaking in a quiet voice, his face illuminated by the pinks and blues and greens of the neons lining up the ceiling that gave him an ethereal look. Felt like he was staring at a game character, someone he wouldn’t ever get to see in real life. But Hongjoong was real, and belonged here, in space. He was breathtakingly pretty, and Chan felt like he could finally breathe again.

“It’s weird, you know? Because everyone needs somewhere they belong. Everyone needs to belong. And when you have it, and then it’s gone, it’s like... it’s like.... a part of what you are has been erased.” Chan looked troubled still and like he hadn’t slept for more than thirty minutes. Maybe he hadn’t, because he was in a coma and then overwhelmed with information, so did that time knocked out even count as resting?

“Erased?” Hongjoong chuckled. “Chan. It might not be there, but it hasn’t been erased. You’re still one hundred percent what you have always been. Think of this as, I don’t know, relocating.” He shrugged. “You may not have a planet anymore, but you still have your crew, and those guys need you a lot right now.”

Chan smiled softly, hands held together on his lap, and upper body slouched forward. Hongjoong had slouched back on his big chair, headphones resting against his shoulders. “Everything I ever knew is gone. Even the samples I collected on Mars are gone, and that’s so…” Chan chuckles. “Man, I’ve been to Mars.”

Hongjoong nodded and then chuckled. “Honestly, that’s not much. You have millions of thousands of stars, planets, and galaxies to visit, to see, to learn about. But no, you were looking for life on Mars. That’s a little pathetic.”

If Chan got angry, Hongjoong would give him the right to punch him, but to his surprise, Chan laughed. He nodded and stared at Hongjoong with a wide grin. “That was a little pathetic, I have to agree.” He didn’t know why, or how that switch flipped inside his head, but he knew he was giving Hongjoong bedroom eyes and his voice had gone down a little. “I should have been looking for life in Sotune, I would’ve found better things.”

The captain raised his eyebrows and eyed him from head to toe. “Maybe. But I don’t know if you would’ve been able to handle a vunoi. Wild creatures they are.” He laughed and sighed. “Do you want to talk about it some more, or can I teach you some things about life out here?”

“Is that what you were doing before I arrived? I don’t want to bother.” Chan said and looked up at the screen. 

“A bit of that, a bit of this. But you’re not interrupting, let me show you a couple of tricks that could save your life.” Hongjoong opened a new screen and started his lesson.

It turned out Hongjoong was very good at explaining things about space, about rules, planets, and galaxies Chan had never even imagined could exist. He showed him pictures, videos, recommended books, and stories he could read about all things in space. It was almost intoxicating how Hongjoong got his attention. He was funny, and clumsy, hit things because he moved his hands too much, made frustrated noises, snark remarks, and pouted a lot while he was talking. At some point, he tossed his goggles on the table and took the headphones off. He looked more casual, younger, more relaxed. 

Chan could fully see his pointy teeth when he laughed, and the neon lights in the room made his eyes sparkle.   
He took a deep breath and blocked whatever it was that was bubbling inside his chest, because the situation didn’t call for infatuations, mainly not with a being from a whole different species. Chan pushed back the intruding thought of curiosity regarding sleeping with a vunoi, aware it would come back to haunt him at some point during his nighttime idleness. In short, Hongjoong was his type. But so was Minho.

Lee Minho. The man that joined the corporation at the same time he did, the man with a golden brain and amazing skills, who was always beside him. Minho, his Lee Know, who held his hand during panic attacks and difficult times when he didn’t know if he would make it. The king of sarcasm and funny comments. The man who had almost gone on a mission before this one, but didn’t because he got his ankle hurt during one of their training. 

Looking at the big picture, that injury saved his life, and Chan was grateful. So grateful Minho was safe and sound with them.   
What he felt wasn’t love. At least Chan didn’t think so, it was just an attraction. He cared for Minho, and he knew Minho cared for him because they were friends, and yes, sure there was some flirting going on between them and Chan wouldn’t avoid it if it happened. But he didn’t want to label it yet. Not now. Not when his whole body responded to everything related to someone else.  
It was like an instant chemical reaction.

Chan didn’t know Hongjoong at all if compared to Minho, and still, there he was, considering things.

He caught up with reality when Hongjoong yawned, his eyes watered a little because he was exhausted. That was probably a universal sign of tiredness, he thought. “I should go to bed.” He mumbled and turned to Chan. “But we can continue tomorrow, if you want to, of course.”

He smiled and nodded. “I would love to.”

“I will get you a device in the morning where you’ll be able to look up things we talked about, download the books I mentioned and explore whatever our talk didn’t cover. But as soon as we get some time off, let’s meet again!” Hongjoong stood up and took his goggles and coat, and Chan followed him. 

“Thank you, it was very useful.” He said, walking out of the office with the captain. They walked in silence until they reached the chambers’ corridor, and Hongjoong stopped by a door farther away from the others. Like all the doors to every chamber, it was made of a dark metal matching the walls of the ship. It had an electronic lock that could be opened by people whose digital had been previously registered.

He pointed to the door and smiled. “This is where you can find me if I’m not down there or anywhere else. Or if you need something during the night, don’t hesitate, just knock. I know you’re having a hard time.”

It was more of an instinct than anything how his eyes traveled up and down the captain’s body, that’s what he told himself. And when he cupped Hongjoong’s face with one hand and ran his thumb over his cheekbone, he told himself it was just a dumb action to show he cared. “I will keep that in mind. And if you need anything, you know where to find me.” He saw how Hongjoon’s lips parted, and heard his scoffing when he turned around and walked down to his chamber.

As he predicted, the intruding thoughts came at him like a wave during the long time it took him to fall asleep.   


Chan knew Jisung and Jeongin were easy to adapt. They had been the first ones approved to travel because they were simply fine with everything, but he didn’t expect to wake up and find them walking around the kitchen using extraterrestrial tech like they had been born around it. He blinked a few times, trying to understand what they were talking about, but his ears couldn’t register anything that made sense. 

“Good morning, Channie!” Jisung chimed and walked towards him with a cup in his hands. “Have a seat, drink some tea. We’re helping catalog the food we still have and running the low-stocked ones by the duplicator.” He slid the cup of steaming hot liquid towards him when Chan sat down.

He sniffled the liquid, it smelled sugary, woody, and floral. “What kind of tea is this? And do you even know how to operate those things?” Chan frowned and blew on the hot cup.

Both Jisung and Jeongin chuckled. “Mingi taught us, it’s easier than rocket science and keeps our minds off things. You know, the whole Earth going boom thing.” Jeongin shrugged. Jisung nodded in agreement and took a seat in front of Chan.

“The tea is some kind of fruit-flavored, it’s good, you’ll like it.” He sighed. “Minho won’t leave his room. Chamber. Bedroom.” He waved his hands around. “I think it hit him harder than it did on us, but you know him, he won’t admit. I cornered him when he came here to get food, and he said he’s using this time to rest and do some research.” 

Chan rolled his eyes. That was so Minho, to hide and pretend he was fine when he wasn’t. “I will check on him.” He took a sip of the tea, and indeed it tasted good, nothing like anything he had ever tried before, but it was nice to know he could still have tea in space. “It was a rough night even for me, I don’t blame him.”

“Hah, you tell me.” Jeongin sat next to Jisung. “I went out for a walk and was attacked by Changbin and Hyunjin hyungs coming back from the med bay. Hyunjin hyung isn’t dealing well with any of this, I think Changbin hyung stayed with him all night in his chamber.”

“Yet we all know it’s not just because Hyunjin isn’t dealing well with all this, right?” A loud voice came right from behind Chan, but he didn’t have to turn around to see Wooyoung, in a second he was sat next to him.   
Chan frowned and Jisung tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Shouldn’t you be piloting? Oh, man, who’s piloting?” Jisung questioned at the same time Chan did.  
Wooyoung glanced at Jeongin, who had made some space for San to add a chair beside him. “Well, if they didn’t tell you, then maybe we shouldn’t either,” San smirked and tossed Wooyoung a small green plastic bag and a straw, keeping one to himself. There was an air of secrecy between them and the knowing look they exchanged before they poked the bags with the straw and started to drink from it.

“As for who is in charge of piloting right now,” Wooyoung smiled at Jisung, “cap took over. We’re about to turn on the warper, Seonghwa came up to the control room to help so he conveniently gave me a break.” He drank some of the content in the bag and shrugged. “But in case of an emergency, this ship can fly itself.”

Chan lowered his head and sipped more of his tea. He felt weird and othered by this conversation. The implication there was something he didn’t know about his friends, and something about Hongjoong and Seonghwa, and the whole Minho isolating himself. It was like his stomach was too full, or so empty it would reject everything. 

“Oh, I almost forgot!” San perched up and pulled a ring from his pocket. It was silver and flat with a blue circle facing outside and some microcircuits on the inside. “Hongjoong asked me to give you this. He said it should be a no-brainer for you to use it, but if you have any questions you can come to any of us.” He slid it over the table and Chan blinked a couple of times.  
  
“You know, I would love to tell you that sure, no brainer. But I have no idea what this is.” Chan frowned, staring at the ring.  
Jisung chuckled. “Maybe he’s asking for your hand in marriage.” Everyone else giggled, and Wooyoung dared comment on how they were moving way too fast. To his luck, San stopped giggling before everyone else and started to explain.

“It’s a computer, you slide the ring in your middle finger with the blue gem turned towards your palm. You’ll get a holo screen, from then on you’ll know how to operate it. To turn it off, you either slide the gem upwards or take the ring off.” He smiled and his dimples showed. Chan nodded, getting why Hongjoong sent it to him, it was about their conversation the previous night. He also got to see how San’s lower teeth were also pointy, and so were Wooyoung’s. Along with Hongjoong, they were all supposed to be vunoi, but Hongjoong’s teeth were flat like a human’s, except for the canine and lateral incisors. 

He would ask him later.

“Thank you, San! It’s good to know at least one person here didn’t sign up to the Pick On Chan Agenda.” He gave the other three a look, which only made them laugh louder.

San chuckled and raised his eyebrows. “Hey, just because I was nice this once doesn’t mean I didn’t. If Woo did, so did I. This is a lifetime partnership, man!”  


Chan ate some things Jeongin and Jisung made him try after San and Wooyoung went somewhere else to enjoy their break. After he was done, he headed to the chamber that was supposedly Changbin’s, but no one answered. Guessing he was probably at Hyunjin’s and he didn’t want to bother in case they were napping, he headed to Minho’s. It took him one knock to get a green light lit up by the doorknob. “Minho?” He called as he walked inside, and contradicting what he thought he would find, he was met with Minho sitting on the bed, three hologram screens in front of him. He seemed to be into some kind of research, there were pictures and long texts that translated themselves as soon as they were opened. He looked up, his bright orange hair seemed messy but other than that he looked just fine. 

“Don’t tell me.” Minho rolled his eyes and moved to the side to give Chan some space on the bed next to him. “Jisung is worried about me, he thinks I’m isolating and not dealing well with the news that my hometown planet exploded, almost killed me in the process, ended the human race, cats, and my whole family. So he went to you, complained and explained his worries, made sure you were concerned like him, and now you’re here. “Hello! Did you sleep well?” He asked casually, only looking at Chan and smiling a little after he was done talking. 

Chan laughed softly. Minho was so cool, with his cold exterior, soft-spoken nature, and secretly soft heart. He sounded more worried about Jisung worrying than about the fact they were a dying breed. “Ah, yes. He is indeed deep in thoughts about you isolating yourself, and given we haven’t seen you since we supposedly went to bed, I would say that’s a very valid worry. But no, I didn’t sleep well, I spent almost all of the night - or whatever that is - with Hongjoong, re-learning everything I thought I knew.” He pointed to the screens in front of them and smiled at Minho. “Looks like I’m not the only one trying.”

“Jisung meddles too much, that brat,” Minho mumbled in annoyance. “I’m trying to beat Seungmin in knowledge, please share with me everything Hongjoong taught you.” He stopped scrolling and turned his body towards Chan, who mirrored him. 

He crossed his legs and smiled. “Uh, I asked him about these galaxies he travels around, and which planets have intelligent life. He made fun of me because according to him intelligence is relative. He taught me about the four main systems: the Turgato System, the Norax Nebula, the Xynia Pass, and the Meriah System, which is the farthest one. In the Turgato System, they have Sotune and Lacebos. Both planets rotate around Torgato, their sun, and they have two moons named Star 1117 and Star 0325. Then they have the Norax Nebula with Eoria, Yelrilia, Janfal, and Tafania.” Chan counted on his fingers, focused on getting all the names right. “There is the Xynia Pass, but Hongjoong said they don’t go there.” 

“Did he tell you why?” Minho asked, not because he was curious, but because he knew and his tone and smirk indicated that. Chan tried to search in his memory, but failed and admitted he didn’t. “There are four planets there, Veahiri, Arsea, Thavin I, and Thavin II. I read the last three used to be populated by the most mentally developed beings, but some time ago they have all been attacked by the Vangron, the people from Veahiri. There was a big war, and somehow the Vangron succeeded in decimating everyone from the other planets in that system. They kept a few people from Arsea as their workers. So it’s pretty much a lot of empty buildings and remnants of war.”

Chan nodded, absorbing the information. It made sense, a lot of sense. He didn’t recall Hongjoong mentioning that, but maybe it was because it took Chan a long time to memorize names, places, races. Most he had forgotten already. “That’s a lot of information. Those Vangron guys sound like they’re terrible.”

Minho nodded and hummed in agreement. “What’s worse is that the current president of the Galaxy General Regimental Council, the GGRC, is a Vangron. From what I’ve read, he has been putting his race in positions of power and slowly adding them to the Galaxy Police. It’s a plot to take over as much as they can.” And then he smiled and shrugged. “But what do we know, right?”

He couldn’t stop smiling while Minho was explaining things he didn’t know, his excitement so contagious Chan couldn’t take his eyes off him. As Minho talked, his hair got even messier, strands pointing everywhere and Chan’s hand prickled with the want to run his fingers through it and fix everything. He wasn’t thinking much when he actually brushed Minho’s bangs off his face. “We have to know a lot, Min. We’re stuck in this new world now, better learn the rules because at some point we will have to play.”

Minho smiled and took Chan’s hand in his, calloused from the hard work they had been put through before the accident, their fingers intertwined. “Just promise me you won’t stray, that you will keep us together. The lack of a home still didn’t take a toll on me, but it might at some point. On me, on Jisung, Changbin, everyone. Hyunjin fainted from the shock, and I’m not sure he recovered completely from it.”

“By the way,” he started, “Wooyoung and San suggested there was more to Hyunjin and Changbin sticking together than we know. Do you think-”

Chan was interrupted by the static sounds coming out of the speakers all around the ship. “It’s captain Mingi speaking-”  
And the voice got interrupted by a scream, presumably Mingi’s. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just Mingi speaking. We’re approaching the Meriah System and will soon land in Goonia. We will arrive at the region of Bidekas Lake, where the place resembles Earth in some things. At least according to the research we made. When we land, get ready to meet the captain in the meeting room for instructions. Thank you for traveling with us. Over.” The speakers were off.

Minho and Chan exchanged a look and Minho turned all the screens off. He took off the rings on his fingers and placed them on the bedside table. “Do you want to lay down and talk while we wait?”

He nodded. There was nothing he loved more than being idle with Minho. And if while being idle they were talking and cuddling it was even better. So when Minho scooted closer and they had each other in their arms it felt like heaven.  


They heard another warning on the radio the moment they entered Goonia’s atmosphere, this time by San, who tried to sound as professional as he could while Wooyoung laughed in the background. Chan woke up to it, with a sleepy Minho looking less than pleased with the sound. “Stay in bed. I will try to check on Bin and Hyunjin before we land.” Chan got off the bed and Minho just mumbled something and dismissed him. He laughed and headed to Hyunjin’s chamber.  


This time, when he knocked, Hyunjin opened. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his long black hair was loose, looking like it hadn’t been in contact with a hairbrush in a while. “Good to see you awake!” Chan chuckled and Hyunjin smiled, letting him in. 

“I’m sorry, I think my blood pressure was too low. The news was a little too much for me.” He said and followed Chan inside. Changbin was sitting on the bed, busy tying his boots. “But I’m feeling better, just a little detached still.”

Chan nodded and squeezed his shoulder with one hand. “Good. You will feel better with time. I’m sure we will all have ups and downs from time to time. Right now it feels a little unreal for all of us.”

Changbin snickered and glanced at Chan from the bed. “I have the theory we died and these are demons having fun. They are probably broadcasting our demise to Hell. Can you imagine? A whole audience of demons placing bets on who loses their mind first?”

He looked at Hyunjin, who gave him a look that said he should just agree with Changbin or something. So Chan nods and in his head, he knows that if this theory turns out to be true, right now everyone is placing their bets on Changbin.  


They arrived in Goonia not long after that and Hongjoong asked everyone to follow him to the meeting room. He sat on the head of the table, looking tired and sleep-deprived. Chan allowed himself to feel bad for a second, he knew the captain had been doing whatever he could to give them the best stay he could, and never asked anything in return.

“I asked you all here because there are some things we need to address, and I don’t think it’s fair to talk to Chan only.” He ran his fingers through his blue strands, pushing it all back. “This is a very nice, friendly place. We’re currently in the region of Bidekas Lake, but closer to the shore, where you can experience resorts and some very Earth-like things. I did my research!” He pointed out before he continued. “But now we have a turning point in our paths, right? The boys and I need to keep our work, and you all need to re-settle. We will stay here for a tiam and a couple of nubs, I guess it will be enough to think of what to do. I personally think Goonia is the best place to settle down and start over, they’re pacifists, Maningturn City and Neo Bacwanna are perfect if you’re into more action.”

“Uh.” Chan started and everyone looked at him. “I was thinking that maybe you all could help us with work. You mentioned you all work, you all have work to do. But you never said what it is you work with.”

There was a weird silence in the room, and the way Hongjoong and Seonghwa exchanged a look only proved it right. “Do you work for the government or something?” Seungmin asked, and the silence persisted for some more seconds until Hongjoong sighed.  
“Not for the government-” San waved his hands around and Hongjoong groaned. 

“We’re bounty hunters. Pirates. Outlaws. We capture ships, we steal their valuables and we sell them in the clandestine market in Lacebos. Sometimes here in Goonia. That’s what we do. And we found you by accident because we took a detour to avoid the Galaxy Police.” He didn’t even seem shocked at the faces looking at him in horror, pretty much the opposite, Hongjoong looked proud.

“So you’re telling me,” Chan started to stand from his chair, hands on the table and his voice so under control it was scary, “that you only rescued us because you wanted to steal our stuff? How do I know you didn’t attack us on purpose and created this story about Earth just to humor us?”

Hongjoong dropped his head and raised his eyes at Chan, chuckling. “You can call me anything, but not a liar. Most times.” He grew serious and waved his hand to the door. “Go on. Rent a ship, go look for Earth. If you find it you can keep my ship, my crew, my belongings. There is no Earth, Bang Chan, and we didn’t rescue you because we wanted to rob you. Your ship was a piece of trash, not even the controllers were worth something, old technology. We rescued you because-” He paused and looked away. “I have reasons I don’t feel ready to talk about.”

Chan nodded. He trusted this man, he shouldn’t but he did. How he rescued them, kept them comfortable and fed, took care of their injuries, and knew how they wouldn’t want to associate with criminals. He was giving them the option to start over, in a place that had more similarities to Earth than everywhere else in the galaxy. Looking around he could see everyone in his crew with eyes on him, waiting for an order. Should they trust him? Should they run away? Should they fight? His eyes fell on Hongjoong again, and he didn’t expect him to be waiting too, giving him time to think it over and tell him what he decided. 

With a heavy sigh, Chan sat back down. “We will trust you, for now. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to offend you and your line of work.”  
“No offense taken. We have skin hard as a rock, we have heard the worst things you can imagine.” Seonghwa is the one that smiles and assures Chan it’s fine. “Shall we go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/br0kenc0mpasss)! I have a CC, if you have questions but want to make it anon, hit me up there too!
> 
> Next update: Saturday.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive at Goonia, the planet of resorts and good fun.
> 
> Changbin and Hyunjin have something to share, and Minho has something to be mad about. Chan makes a decision and they get ready to meet with the big guys.
> 
> But is that really the right move?

“So, I guess this is the perfect timing to do it,” Hyunjin said as he watched Hongjoong dealing with a weird green being at the front desk. Someone told him what that was, but he forgot the name already. Changbin was beside him, arms crossed and face in a frown while they waited in the spacious lounge. The walls were tall, with large windows behind the reception desk with the view to a beautiful beach with dark sand. They were asked who they would like to room with, and Changbin said he could room with Hyunjin, which left Jisung with a big pout. Hyunjin kind of felt bad for him, because when turned to Minho, the older was already being signed with Chan. He was chosen by Felix, though, he should be happy enough.

“I agree. It never felt right to hide it from them. Everyone has always been so honest, no secrets, it’s like we’re betraying their trust.” Changbin said and resisted the urge to lean against Hyunjin.

Everybody chose that moment to start moving, gathering together in a group. “That’s it, you all have keys to your rooms, you can go and rest. Or go out and have fun, just don’t get in trouble.” Hongjoong waved around like he wanted to get rid of them quickly. And he probably did, Changbin wouldn’t be surprised if they woke up to find out they had left without them. Of course, he would find a way to chase their asses to the ends of the universe if that ever happened, so these pirate boys better think a lot before they act up.

“And I would recommend buying new clothes, food if you get hungry. We will be busy with work, but we will be around in the evening for drinks and a get-together.” Seonghwa said, smiling and holding Hongjoong in place by the elbow. 

Jisung raised his hand in a fashion that seemed like he was on a school field trip. “But we don’t have any money!” And Changbin knew that was an issue running through their minds ever since they got inside that resort that seemed way too expensive for any of them.  
In truth, he hadn’t seen any of them handling money yet, not when Hongjoong got the rooms, not when Yunho bought a drink from the vending machine.

“Use the card!” Wooyoung piped in.

“The card to your rooms, just tell them to charge it there. We will take care of it later, so don’t worry.” Seonghwa’s smile was serene. He was a very handsome person, with a deep nice voice and a very warm look. Everything he did seemed so genuine and full of care it was hard not to feel calm and reassured next to him.

Hongjoong was fidgety and slung on Seonghwa's sleeve, signaling they should go. With a careless glance in their general direction, he confirmed they should just charge any expenses on the cards they got. Before anyone could say anything, they vanished. “Fishy,” Changbin said, but one look at Hyunjin and he could tell he was thinking of all the possibilities of using a card he wouldn’t have to pay for. “But I guess you don’t mind, right?”  
  
“I swear,” Chan started when he came close to him, “if they’re gone by the time we’re done spending on these cards, I’m flying the universe to find them and kill them. One by one.”  
  
Changbin didn’t hold back the loud laugh that echoed all around the lounge, turning faces to him and with curious eyes as to what could be so funny. “I was thinking the same thing. Those are no ordinary people, they’re criminals. I wouldn’t put it past them to step so low.”  
  
The hum and sound of someone walking with them had Changbin turning his head to see Minho. “I don’t know. Seonghwa is really nice. And I’m yet to meet someone as polite as Yeosang, or as admittedly nice as Yunho. I fail to see them doing something like that.”  
  
Chan turned to Minho super fast, Hyunjin noticed too and even stumbled a bit trying to keep up with all the movement beside him. “I don’t think Hongjoong would either. He is very…” Chan trailed off when he noticed the three pairs of eyes on him, “...likable.” He mumbled and coughed, looking away to hide the soft but noticeable pink in his cheeks and the tips of his ears. The way Minho frowned wasn’t missed by anyone. He diminished his eyes but there was a very ominous grin on his lips.  
  
The tone which he spoke next was cold enough to freeze the whole corridor they were walking in. “Is he very likable, Channie? Did you realize that when you spent the night with him?”  
  
Changbin felt a hand grip his forearm hard enough to bruise, and the four of them stopped walking. Minho still had that dangerous face on him, the one nobody messed with, not even Seugmin (and Changbin thought Seungmin was very brave for crossing Minho all the time!). Chan was gaping like a fish out of the tank, and Hyunjin looked like he was watching the final episode of a very exciting drama. This had the potential to get ugly.  
  
“So!” Changbin shouted with a smile, bringing all the attention to him. Minho was going to murder him later, he knew that. “Hyunjin and I have something very important to talk to you all about. Can we gather in one of the rooms?”  
  
Minho turned his scary slash creepy smile to him. His whole life flashed before his eyes, great. “As soon as we find the other four. In case you haven’t noticed they didn’t come with us.”  
  
“Amazing.” Chan sighed and smiled at them. “That’s my cue. I’ll find them and meet you guys in Changin and Hyunjin’s room, okay? See ya!” He didn’t even wait for a reply. Chan skipped down the corridor like he was being followed by something dangerous. Silence fell upon them while they watched until he disappeared.  
  
Hyunjin coughed, threw Minho a side glance, and smiled. “Is it true? Did he spend the night with Hongjoong?”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Minho sighed. “Not like that. But yes, they spent the night together talking about all this.” He waved his arms around. “I’m not mad, I just want to keep him on his toes.” With a sweet smile, he turned around and entered one of the rooms near them.  
  
Hyunjin and Changbin’s room had a round window facing the beach where all kinds of races seemed to be having fun. It was a beautiful view, for sure. It did resemble earth, with all those families walking around, laughing, eating, and playing games by the water. If the sand wasn’t as dark as charcoal, and the people with different skin tones, sizes, extra limbs, and sometimes with tails, it would be just the same.   
The bed was larger and way more comfortable than the one on the ship. It was round and fit all of them sitting close and in a circle. Chan had come back with Jisung, Seungmin, Felix, and Jeongin, they had found a room with games and lost track of time playing there. When he sat down Changbin noticed him glancing at Minho, who simply ignored him.  
  
Chan was one of his best friends, they had gone through most training together, and their story included long nights talking about personal things. Still, Chan never said anything about his relationship with Minho. He knew they were close, and it was clear how Chan looked at him with stars in his eyes. It all became more evident during the mission, with both sharing a bed and intimate touches.  
  
But he knew they weren’t a thing, Chan would never be able to hide it if they were. Minho’s reaction earlier though was someone jealous. And if Chan really was after the blue-haired boy, he needed to get his shit together and not leave Minho on the hook.  
  
Chan started, his leader's voice bringing everyone into a team mindset instantly. “Changbin asked us to meet because he has something to share with us. Whatever it is, I want everyone to think before you speak, and be mindful of his feelings. Deal?” The mumbles of the agreement were heard all over the crooked circle they were and Changbin took a deep breath. To his right was Hyunjin, smiling down at him with encouragement. He told him he wanted to do it, and Hyunjin said it was okay, he wouldn’t interfere.

There was a certain hesitation in his features, but not because he feared the reactions of his friends. What Changbin feared was that they would be upset by the time it took him and Hyunjin to tell them. So he started with the basics, which could bring light as to why they kept quiet for so long. “Hyunjin and I were scared the corporation was going to act on it and kick us out of the program if they found out somehow, that’s why now we are not under that risk anymore we decided to tell you we have been dating for the past year.”

Some of the boys squirmed to get in a more comfortable position as silence fell upon them, with Changbin and Hyunjin scanning their faces for a reaction. Jisung and Felix exchanged a look, and Jeongin looked away. “I’ll tell them.” Jisung piped up. “Wooyoung saw you, he told Innie and I. Innie told Seungmin and Felix, and I told Minho, who was supposed to tell Chan hyung. In short, we know, it’s cool. We’re happy for you guys!” He raised his tiny fists and made a cheering sound that was interrupted by outraged sounds coming from Changbin, Hyunjin, and Chan, all for different reasons.

“You knew it, and you didn’t tell me you did!” Hyunjin pointed an accusatory finger at Jisung, while Changbin said something over him to Seungmin and Chan glared at Minho. “So I’m the only one who had no idea? Because Minho didn’t tell me shit?”

Minho shrugged, nonchalantly wrapping his arms around Felix. “I was going to, but you were too busy spending the night with Hongjoong.” His innocent smile could fool anyone who didn’t know him, but Chan did. He was trying to get under his skin just because he was what? Jealous? Unlike Changbin and Hyunjin, they weren’t dating. In fact, they had never gone beyond harmless flirting and soft cuddles. Were they into each other? Yes. Maybe if they had stayed on Earth things would have progressed into a relationship. But the program started, they got a mission in space, and all their hours were spent training and preparing for it. Soon they were launching and working like crazy in the space station, gathering information and filling daily reports they had to send the base. Three months went by and maybe if they had arrived home they would be picking up where they left. Or not, because Earth blew up, they would be dead. But the point was-- “Wait. What?” Jisung interrupted his thoughts. 

“Not like that,” Chan explained, giving Minho a look that went ignored, then turning to Jisung. “I spent a good part of the night with him, yes. He was teaching me a few things to survive. We talked about geography, politics, and some social aspects that differ a lot from what we knew. It was an important conversation you all should have with those guys.”

Minho snickered. “And Chan thinks he’s likable.”

It was war. Chan inhaled, smiling because he didn’t want to lose his composure in front of his boys. “I do. Despite all the, you know, being a criminal thing.”

“And despite him being a criminal, if you end up getting in his pants you have to let us know how it is,” Felix said, suddenly interested in the topic.

Jisung nodded eagerly and Changbin started laughing out loud when he realized what he meant. “Felix and I talked about it, we were wondering how different they are down there. Because there must be something different. Are they mammals? Do things work as it works for us? Is intercourse the same thing?”

And while they were all laughing at his questions, Chan knew he would have to talk to Minho about this later.

  
Later, after they had explored the resort and Minho had made sure he wasn’t left alone with Chan, it was Yunho, Yeosang, and Mingi who found them and dragged them outside. “You can’t wear blue overalls forever”, Mingi pointed out, and taking into account everything they would come across traveling the galaxy, they helped them pick new fits. Along with clothes they had each one of them acquire bags, gloves, and communication gadgets, the essential, they said.  
“And where are the others?” Felix asked as he took pictures in a mirror with Yeosang, relishing in their newfound hair similarity. 

He leaned over Felix’s shoulder to look at the results, smiling at how funny they turned out, with the hats they were trying on and the colorful glasses. “In the ship. Every time we stop for some time we go through maintenance and cleaning up. Seonghwa is a clean freak, and the ship isn’t very new. In fact, she’s a hand me down Hongjoong reformed with upgraded pieces he acquired during his travels before we joined.” Yeosang took off the large pink glasses and put them back on the shelf along with the hat. “So she’s very high maintenance. For example, our warp drive capacitor is a very old model, it doesn’t work with new pieces and the ship doesn’t accept a different model, we have to keep checking it and hoping it won’t break forever.”

“I see,” Felix put away the hat and the glasses, walking out the store with Yeosang. “I always thought warp drive was just a theory. I guess we still didn’t have the technology for it.”

Yeosang shrugged and smiled. “Could be. But now you can appreciate it all, and if you and the others choose to travel instead of settling down you will see and experience so many things you never imagined you could.” He took a deep breath and looked at his feet while they followed the path to meet the others. “I spent a good part of my life locked in a palace. I grew up with Seonghwa, and I was supposed to be his servant and eventually one of his consorts.”

The words echoed in Felix’s mind, and frowned in confusion, stopping dead in his tracks. “What do you mean his servant? His consort?”

Yeosang chuckled and motioned Felix to sit with him on the bench facing the sea. Once they had settled down he continued. “Seonghwa was supposed to take over Eoria, he’s the emperor’s son, but he never wanted that. I was born inside the palace and trained since I was young to serve him, to be his shadow. He never agreed, he always said this kind of tradition was cruel because it took away from people the right to choose their fate. Of course, nobody ever listened to him, he was just a young adult trying to meddle in old people’s business. When he was of age his parents sent us to court a princess, a yondir born and raised in Tafania. They packed the most expensive of their family’s jewels, hoping it would be enough to get Seonghwa to bring her home with him. He hated it, but obeyed.” Yeosang smirked noticing how into it Felix was, digesting every detail. 

“But that didn’t happen, right? He didn’t go.” Felix guessed.

“He did.” Yeosang sighed. “We did, with a whole entourage too. His plan was to run away the moment we landed but turns out never arrived. Three quarters in the way we got intercepted by a black ship. They canceled all our shields and all the engines, and before anyone could react Hongjoong was inside shooting paralyzers on everyone. I included, but we don’t talk about that.” He coughed when Felix laughed and continued. “At this time he had only San, Wooyoung, and Jongho with him, and amazingly it was more than enough to surrender the best guards I’ve ever known. They kept Seonghwa free because they needed him to open the safe and get the jewels. Of course, Seonghwa helped, but before he handed them the jewels he asked if both could go with them. So we did.”

Felix’s eyes were huge in excitement when Yeosang finished. “That’s a better story than most movies I have watched. He gave up royalty to-”

“For freedom,” Yeosang said. “We never set foot in Eoria again. Hongjoong’s face was everywhere for a long time, being accused of kidnapping.” They both laughed at that. “Come on, let’s meet the others.”

  
At some point, Chan gave up. Minho had made it very clear he didn’t want to talk, never allowing them alone time and always hanging around Yunho or Mingi. He decided to respect that, they would talk later, he couldn’t avoid him forever.  
So when they all sat down to eat at a restaurant that had a deck leading to the beach, Chan decided he would make the most of it. The night was starting to fall, and there were more stars than he could count in the sky. He didn’t notice San and Wooyoung approaching, their presence being acknowledged only when they sat down to steal some food off Changbin’s plate. Jongho excused their behavior as he ordered the food, and coming towards them from the beach he could see Seonghwa and Hongjoong. Like the others from their crew they were wearing lighter clothes, Seonghwa had a loose light pink shirt over a white tank top and light pants. Hongjoong was wearing a black tank top and light blue pants that cut short a palm under his knees, his hair tied up in a tiny ponytail, and a black headband where he usually wore his goggles. As they walked together, they laughed and bumped their shoulders, sometimes slapping each other’s arm, sometimes ducking the attack. 

They were close, it was obvious by the way they touched, how they looked into each other’s eyes when they laughed, how at ease they were around each other. It was well-paced, intimate.

Chan forced himself to tear his eyes from them, automatically searching for Minho on the far end of the table. He was focused on Yunho, giggling at his explanation about something Chan couldn’t hear. And when Seonghwa arrived with Hongjoong, he had an arm draped over the shorter man’s shoulders, their hips touching when they swayed side to side. “I’m hungry, what did you order?” Seonghwa whined with a pout. He was infuriatingly handsome.

“And I’m thirsty, Wooyoung give me a sip! What are you drinking?” Hongjoong reached out to Wooyoung’s glass and took a sip before he could even answer, scrunching up his nose and giving it back to him. Wooyoung just watched, grinning. “How can you handle all that alcohol?”

“It’s an Atomic Stardust, I knew you would hate it.” He laughed and drank some of it himself. “I rewired the whole panel today, I deserve to get smashed!”

They all ate after Seonghwa and Hongjoong sat with them, exchanging jokes and curiosities about their different backgrounds. If the situation was any different Chan would say they were all long-term friends, that this was some kind of school reunion. It was a shame they were fated to part ways, they made a good team. When he was done with his food - which Chan chose to not ask about the origin - he found Hongjoong’s eyes across the table. “Hongjoong, I have thought a lot about what to do. Regardless of my final choice, or the kids’ final choice, we need to be legal. We need a register on the GGRC, don’t we?”

Hongjoong put his glass down and nodded. “You do. Seems like you have been researching, good for you!” He relaxed against his chair. “For that, you have to schedule an audience with the Council, the GGRC. But the office is in Veahiri, and even though you can schedule it online, you have to be physically there for the audience. They used to allow hologram attendance, but constant frauds and pranks to make viral videos made them down that option.”

“By the way, there is a really funny compilation of videos of pranks on the GGRC via hologram, I have to show you later!” Mingi added. Hongjoong rolled his eyes and continued.

“While I can help you with scheduling the audience, I refuse to take you to Veahiri, I’m sorry but you’re on your own to deal with the Vangrons.” His face grows serious and his gaze cold. “I can leave you in Janfal. They have an express space bus in the capitol that will take you to Veahiri.”

Chan nodded, a little annoyed. “Are you wanted in Veahiri?”

To his surprise, Hongjoong smirked, clearly proud of himself. “The eight of us are. But we’re wanted in most places, and we walk around like that’s not dangerous because we are used to it. We know where to go, how to escape, and where to hide, it’s easy. But Veahiri, the highly secured GGRC? I won’t risk it.”

It made sense. It was scary to think what could happen to any of them in case they were caught with Hongjoong and his crew, but something dormant in him whispered it was also exciting to think about it every time. And every time Chan had to struggle to shut it down. “Cool. Thanks, I think that will work. I appreciate everything you’re doing for us.”

“Don’t mention it.” He shook his head. “We will pick you up in Janfal on your way back, maybe you’ll have something figured out by then.” Hongjoong smiled and stood up, placing his hands on the table. “Now, Chan, follow me. I have something to discuss with you.”

He had no idea what Hongjoong could want but stood up as he asked. 

  
The sand was very soft and felt more like a fine powder than actual sand, he realized when he stepped on it. Hongjoong insisted they went barefoot. It turned a little less pleasant when the water hit it, making it grow harder and denser.   
Chan was amazed. He couldn’t take his eyes off the sky, the number of stars, the colorful nebula, and the planets, so close they could be seen with the naked eye. Baromi was his favorite, the crossed rings and dense steam around it made it look like something out of a fantasy book. He wouldn’t be surprised if that was the land of the most beautiful creatures.

He snickered, he could easily use that as a pickup line. “Hey, Hongjoong!”

“Hm?” The other turned to him. They were walking side by side on the shore, the water hitting their naked feet now and then. Their shoes stayed with the other boys since they wanted to stay and drink some more. 

“Are you from Baromi?” Chan asked, wiggling his eyebrows, holding back a laugh. Hongjoong looked at him like he had grown another head.

“No, I’m from Sotune. Did you forget already?” He shook his head and Chan laughed.

“It’s just because Baromi is so pretty it could be the home of the prettiest creatures of the galaxy.” He smirked and waited for a reaction. 

Hongjoong seemed to think a little, and then he stopped waking. “I don’t know, the sovels are not my type, but maybe they are y-“ in that instant something made sense in his reasoning, and he turned his face to Chan with a small grin. “Smooth. But no, I’m from Sotune!” He slapped Chan’s shoulder and laughed along. 

“Aw! I tried.” Chan shrugged. He came to accept that an angry Hongjoong was hot, and a smiley Hongjoong was way too precious. If he didn’t know better, he would hug this idiot every time he smiled like that. Maybe Minho did have a reason to give him the cold shoulder because maybe he found this weird man from space a little more than likable. Which didn’t mean his feelings for Minho were gone.

He waved his hand at Chan and turned to look at the shiny water. “Did you like it here? Is it anything like Earth?”

Chan was still trying to figure out if Hongjoong was working hard to make them extremely comfortable in Goonia to leave them there, or just deeply worried they would miss Earth so much. He was inclined to believe the first, and even more inclined in not staying there just to spite him. “It’s cool. Not much like Earth, but close enough. All this still feels like a fever dream.” 

“I see,” Hongjoong said, hands in his pockets and eyes on the water. “I’ve heard very few things about your planet, I don’t have a very accurate mental image of it, so Goonia was the first thing that came to mind. I know for sure Sotune is nothing like it.” 

“I appreciate it. And I’m sure the boys do too, they were having a lot of fun. They are my biggest worry because I’m responsible for them.” Chan turned to the water too. The shiny waves were beautiful, combined with the night sky and the dark soft sand, it all seemed way too crazy to be real. But he knew it was, his brain would’ve never been able to imagine Hongjoong. The blue-haired boy who looked so good under the light of the stars, holding out a hand to him.   
Chan opened his palm and Hongjoong dropped something on it. 

“I don’t know who he is, but I found it in your chamber when we were in your ship. He’s ugly but cool, so I thought I’d keep it as a souvenir. But you know, I think you need things to connect you to your past.” Hongjoong said and Chan looked at his palm. There was a figure of a skinny-looking man with colorful clothes and a straw hat. 

“It’s Luffy!” He laughed and Hongjoong looked even more confused. “It’s a fictional character from a comic book and an animation. I can’t believe that out of everything I had there, you kept Luffy!”

“Well, it was on your bedside table.” Hongjoong shrugged. “Seemed important.”

“It kind of is. Wow, I will never know how his story ends. You would’ve liked him.” Chan’s dimples deepened. “His lifelong dream is to become the Pirate King by finding a legendary treasure, so he gets a ship, a crew, and sails away. Luffy believes being a pirate means you’re free, and being the Pirate King makes you even freer, and that’s what he wants: freedom.” He looked at Hongjoong, he had his lips parted with his pointy teeth showing and eyes glued to Chan, absorbing every piece of information he fed him. “But even if he encounters evil people on his way, he manages to be a very good man and helps a lot of people during his journey. He reminds me of someone, now that I think about it.”

Hongjoong turned back to the sea the moment he realized he got caught. “Pirate King is a cool title. And he’s right, you know? About everything. Freedom is something you not only have to conquer, but you also have to acknowledge it. The moment you acknowledge you’re free and nobody owns you, your will, your thoughts, your wishes, that’s when you’re ready to move forward. Only then you’re truly happy.” He looked at Chan with a small smile. “Nobody should be able to put chains around you.”

Chan took a step closer to Hongjoong and stood in front of him, so close he could count his eyelashes if he wanted. “Keep Luffy.” He then slipped the figurine into the boy’s pocket. “I like him a lot, but you two are more alike.”

“You seem to be very fond of pirates, Mr. Astronaut, you might end up becoming one of them if you’re not careful,” Hongjoong whispered, and Chan leaned in slowly, their noses rubbed against each other very softly and he could feel his breathing against his lips. It was a fleeting thought, but maybe Chan needed this, needed to do it, and get it off his system. His chest felt like it was going to burst, his heart beating fast the closer he got to kiss him.  
Hongjoong took a step back, and as soon as he did it Chan also heard the voices coming towards them. By the look on his face, he hoped as much as Chan that nobody had noticed what was going down seconds ago.

“Tomorrow morning,” Hongjoong said, taking steps away from him. “We will schedule the audience, and you will meet with the GGRC.” He turned around and jogged towards the noisy group, retrieved his shoes, and walked away. Among them, Chan noticed how Minho’s eyes were fixed on him. As soon as he did, Minho turned to San to give him all his attention.

The night was going to be a long one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update around Wednesday/Thursday!
> 
> I hope you're enjoying it, and I promise the plot will pick up from the next chapter on. Don't give up on me, please!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything changes;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today I bring you a long but necessary chapter. Here everything changes, and it will continue to change.
> 
> There is smut. And my smut is very awkward, so please ignore it if you want.
> 
> And if you feel like it, please follow me on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/br0kenc0mpasss), because I might need people to decide for me a thing or two and will open polls this week or the next.
> 
> That, and please pray for my computer, it might die soon T_T
> 
> Thank you for everyone still reading this!

_“Biting’s excellent. It’s like kissing – only there is a winner.”_ _  
_ _\- Neil Gaiman_

One thing the Universe as a whole had in common was the inevitable lack of organization and work optimization in public agencies. The more important the service was, the fewer people working on it they had, the longer the line was, and the bigger the demand for said service. A human, used to the bureaucracy and neglect of government services, automatically imagines that in a situation where warp drive travel is relatively common, these things would be simpler.

What humans did not take into account when this thought emerged was that regardless of the galaxy, politics are politics and the government is still the government. It doesn't matter how advanced the technology is.

They had chosen Chan and Minho’s bedroom to spread around and wait for someone to talk to them and schedule the audience. Two pooks and some had passed since they woke up, Chan was counting by the clock on the wall, and ever since then, they were trying to talk to someone. It was San’s turn because he was possibly the most patient among all of them. 

He was sitting on Minho’s bed, the hologram in front of him showed dozens of blue humanoid figures forming a long line. Whenever they got closer, one of the figures left. “There are three people in front of us now.”

“Last time there were five, it glitched and suddenly there were fifteen,” Jeongin whined from the chair he was slumped on. “We don’t need to register, let’s live anonymously.”

“Agreed.” Jisung and Felix high-fived in a corner and Chan chuckled from where he was, laying sideways in his bed.

He lifted his upper body a little to fix them with a stern look. “No! If we’re going to spend the rest of our lives here we need to be legal. We need to find jobs, get a place to live, do things we would do if we were home.”

San chuckled and inhaled, holding back a laugh Hongjoong didn’t, letting it echo all around the bedroom from wherever on the floor he was. Seonghwa had the grace to cover his face with his hair, trying to hide his giggles. “You just want that because you’re sick with the good guy complex. People have pretty decent lives without submitting to the GGRC.” Hongjoong affirmed, the sound of his body shuffling made it look like he was under the bed. Chan wouldn’t put it past him to be hiding under there.

He groaned and sat up fully. “I’m not sick with anything!” Chan complains in the general direction, unable to see Hongjoong anyway.

“You are!” Hongjoong accuses, still far from the eyes. “You’re a rebel like us, all of you. But you still need to find the cure. Sadly, I’m not a doctor and neither Yeosang nor Jongho treat this kind of disease, only time and knowledge do.”

There was a moment of heavy silence in the room, and Chan had a very good answer ready in his head, but San straightened up and the hologram line turned into a full screen with a young lady in glasses. She had red hair tied on the top of her head and pearly skin with three-lined protuberances on each side of her face, going from the corners of her eyes to the ends of her nose. “Your turn has arrived, how can I help you with?” As she spoke they could make out her bifid tongue moving. 

San smiled politely. “I would like to schedule an audience with the Council. I currently have eight earthlings that survived Earth’s end, and they need to be formally registered as citizens.”

The woman seemed both shocked and impressed while she typed away, trying not to give away her current emotions. “Eight earthlings, right? I’m checking when is the next empty slot we have. They are aware they need to be here physically, correct?”

“Correct.” San nodded and waited. When he looked around everyone was gathered close to him watching the hologram. The woman was quiet, scrolling through a screen they couldn’t see. She hummed now and then, smiled at him a yellow smile of someone who would rather be doing something else, and then typed some more. Suddenly, she perked up with a small smile.

“I have an empty slot for tomorrow morning, would they be able to make it?” She asked. San looked at Chan and got a nod in response. He glanced at Hongjoong, who had now found a place on Chan’s bed, and he also nodded.

“Yes, that’s perfect. What information do you need?” San asked, already used to all the things they asked for the minimal things.

“They don’t have a register, so just their names and occupation.” She replied and instantly eight forms lit up in front of him. “Please fill these.”

With all the forms filled and the promise of a confirmation code being sent to the device San used, he hung up. He threw his body on the bed and groaned. “Man, they always keep me on my toes. I hate vangrons.”

“I was about to ask that. She was a vangron, then?” Felix questioned as he sat beside San. 

He nodded in confirmation. “A pretty one. They’re usually as ugly as vomit.”

“They’re not,” Seonghwa said and Hongjoong agreed. “They’re beautiful, polite, smart, and complete assholes.”

Minho, who was quietly observing the whole thing nods and turns to Hongjoong with a frown. “They give me the impression they’re dangerous. After all, I’ve read about them, the wars, to see them in power makes me uneasy.”

Hongjoong sighed, locking his eyes with Minho’s. “Min, you have no idea. What you’ve read about them is the tip of the iceberg. You don’t want to cross a vangron, ever. You don’t want to say no to them, you don’t want to steal from them, you don’t want to disagree with them. If you see a vangron, you turn around and you run, and you never stop running.” He looked down. “So that’s my piece of advice, stay as far as you can from them.” He clapped his hands and walked to the door. “Well, I’ll be out doing stuff. If you need me, make sure you don’t!” And without any further word, he left the room.

It didn’t take long for the others to follow Honjoong, the room slowly emptying and Chan found himself alone with Minho. Not that his friend had spent a single second paying him any mind. Chan knew it was a long shot, but he had to try to talk to Minho before they ended up turning their friendship too sour to be fixed. “Can we talk?” Chan tried as he closed the door behind Felix.

Minho was looking something up on the screen produced by the ring on his finger, scrolling the text slowly. After a pause, he lifted his eyes to Chan. “I guess. Sit here.” He pointed to the bed where he is and closed the screen. “I’m sorry I was too moody yesterday.”

Chat sat down on the edge of the bed, facing him. He felt relief wash over his body when Minho started talking, this would make things easier, so he started to open up. “I’m sorry I did something that upset you, I swear I didn’t mean it. I have the feeling I know what got you mad at me, and I think there are many things we need to put out in the open.”

Minho nodded and pushed his orange hair off his face. He cast his eyes down and started to pick at his shirt, nodding. “I guess it’s starting to get to me, the whole thing. I must have become clingy because it feels like I’m going to lose everything I have.”

He felt that. “I know. I know what you’re talking about. It’s like the moment we get legalized everyone will disappear. As if everyone has plans and will follow a different path and the only connexion I still have with who I am will be gone.” Chan sighed. “That’s why we need to fix this situation as soon as possible, regroup and talk it out.”

“Is that why you’re trying to get _him_ to fall in love with you? Because at least you will have something or someone to rely on?” Minho’s tone wasn’t accusatory, he sounded curious, trying to understand what Chan was trying to accomplish getting involved with someone whose behavior he didn’t even approve of.

He was taken by surprise, Minho was rarely ever this direct. He was shy and closed off, people had to approach him with care, gain his trust, get him to like them first. Only then they could see how striking he was, his beautiful personality that was reserved only for those who could cherish it for real. “No.” Chan frowned, then added. “I don’t think so. I don’t think I’m trying to get him to fall in love with me, Minho.” There was no way he could dodge that bullet, though, not when Minho so straightforwardly asked him for an explanation. “I am a little attracted to him, I can’t pretend I’m not. He infuriates and intrigues me in the same amount, and I think I just want to learn how to-,” He stopped himself because when he looked at Minho, he was smiling.

“Channie hyung,” he started. “It’s okay to be attracted to him.” He sighed and looked down. “I’m not going to pretend I’m happy about it, though, you know I have a thing for you.” Minho looked up at him again, and Chan just wanted to punch his own face. “It’s that feeling, I feel like I’m losing you and everything we built. All the trust, all the friendship, and the obvious feelings we shared. It’s not Hongjoong or this situation’s fault, none of us are in our right minds, it’s only natural we drift apart.”

“Minho.” Chan took a deep breath and scooted closer, he took one of Minho’s hands in his and looked at him. “I like you. If I think about who I want to have a future with, it’s you, not him or anyone else.”

“So prove it. Not now, not while we don’t even know what tomorrow holds. And I’m not asking you to do grandiose things, you know I don’t even like that, I just want honesty. If you want to kiss Hongjoong, or San or Wooyoung, go for it. I’m not going to stop you. I might even have fun with some of them. But don’t do it and then tell me it didn’t mean anything. And let me go if you find yourself falling for someone other than me.” He didn’t look or sound happy, and if the pang in his chest was anything to go by, Chan could tell Minho was hurting too.

He shook his head and squeezed the hand he was so used to holding. “I don’t like this. I never meant to hurt you, but I can’t tell you to hold onto this feeling when I am this mess.” Chan kissed the back of Minho’s hand and cupped his face. “Please, forgive me?”

Minho leaned into his space and pressed his lips to Chan’s for the first time ever. It was a soft, but sweet and brief touch of lips. “Let’s make a deal? We will go through this and live every single experience we can, no regrets, no holding back.” He whispered, their lips brushing together. “We will consider this an adventure, and when we finally settle down, we can have this talk again. If by then our feelings remain the same, we will see what to do. What do you think?”

It didn’t feel ideal, but it wasn’t a definite goodbye, and at that moment Chan needed to cling to something. “Okay. But promise you won’t give me the silent treatment anymore.”

Minho laughed and pulled away. “I will try not to.” And when Chan whined out loud in frustration, he laughed harder.

Their last day in Goonia was divided between finishing the maintenance in the ship and getting to know the city some more. Minho opted for the second, going with San and Mingi for a walk. They visited the city’s aquarium because Minho insisted he wanted to learn more about the creatures under the foreign sea. They differed a lot from everything he knew, looking more like magical beings from fairy tales than actual fish. And when he came across a small creature called eepah, with two arms, a head, and a fish tail, he told the boys about mermaids, sirens, and all the stories they used to tell on Earth.

“People even talked about cities that had been submerged and now were inhabited by those creatures. They were just stories, though.” He said as they exited the aquarium. 

“But they sound like good stories. As you saw, eepah are harmless, not bigger than my hand. They used to be sold for the riches for decoration, but that’s forbidden now.” Mingi said, chewing on the candies they bought on their way out. 

Minho nodded in silence, a question that had been bothering him for so long on the tip of his tongue. “Do you have cats? Or felines?” He looked at them as they stopped walking. “We had some on Earth, they were my favorite animals.”

They nodded, and San smirked. “I don’t know what a cat is, but we do have felines. They’re my favorites too! But the only one that can be domesticated is the nyon, they’re natural from Baromi. Not long ago they became a problem, because they’re cute and small, so people started to take them everywhere, and nyons can have up to 13 babies each cycle. They can reach up to 12cm of size and up to 7cm in height. Their teeth are similar to the vunoi - which grants us the nickname-, fur all over their bodies and dangerous claws.” He munched on the candy, before he continued. “Nyons are very popular pets now.”

Minho laughed, imagining pocket-sized cats infesting the place. “And where can I get one?”

San smiled and started walking again, followed by Mingi and Minho. “Settle down and I’ll get you one. It’s a promise.”

Minho chuckled, poking on the jelly candy inside the box he got himself. “You see, those nyons sound very small. Like one cat from Earth was three times the size of a nyon.”

San hummed, nodding. “That’s a problem. I’ll get you three nyons, then.”

Mingi laughed and shook his head, he’d rather not even comment about it.

After his conversation with Minho, Chan told him he was going to rest, he hadn’t slept well the previous night. Minho was going on a walk with Mingi and San, and left the room without any questioning. When he was sure Minho wasn’t coming back and nobody was going to interrupt them, he got the computer Hongjoong gave him and opened the browser. Playtime was over, he needed to get a grip and start learning about whatever they were getting themselves into, and he knew it was going to take him a long time to absorb everything he needed. 

Chan started with the basics: What was the Galaxy General Regimental Council, who ruled it, and why did it even exist. Then, he needed to dive into the Xynia Pass history. If he still had time when he was done, he might do detailed research on Veahiri and its inhabitants, the vangron.

Sometime later, Chan found himself staring at 3D holograms of the planets in Xynia Pass, frustrated and confused. He read about the wars, he read about the mess the vangron made, he knew it all because Hongjoong had also mentioned it. But something didn’t add up, it felt like reading a book with half of the pages that connected the plot together torn away. Besides, the only thing he could find on the vangron was how hardworking, smart, and superior they were. There wasn’t even a plausible explanation for why they were in power. What he found was a news article written by some L.H.S. about how vangron police officers were purposely kicking the draan out of the Galaxy Police and filling it with more of their own. Wasn’t Jongho a draan? Chan was intrigued, but he had the feeling he wouldn’t find online what he needed to know.

“I can’t believe we’re leaving without going to the clubs. This trip was cut way too short!” Jeongin complained as he crossed the lounge with his friends, it was too early and they had to leave to get to reach Janfal in time for the bus. Chan laughed watching his youngest and ruffled his hair affectionately.

“We will have the chance to come back, Innie. Then you can hit the clubs and have all the fun you missed this time.” He reassured him, patting his shoulder. He glanced at Minho who nodded and took Jeongin outside with him. Chan turned to the front desk, Hongjoong had collected their cards to pay for their expenses, but something told him he should help him somehow. When the client talking to the person behind it walked away, Hongjoong approached them. As Chan learned on his research, that was a xrina, a race with brown skin and eyes with no pupils, just bright scleras that varied between yellow, green, blue, and black. This one was green, and their long silver hair fell over their shoulders in perfect waves. Hongjoong was leaning towards them over the counter, his contagious laugh making them lean towards him too. As Hongjoong pointed to the screen and joked, they relished in his smile, complimented his hair and he told them how much he liked their earrings - two very weird stones Chan personally thought were very not something Joong would like. But who knows, right?

Chan stood beside him, trying to understand why he was hitting on the xrina instead of paying for their expenses until he saw it: there was the list of everything they bought, everything they ate, everywhere they went, and it was erasing itself. The net value went lower and lower until there was nothing they owed the place. He was about to question it when Hongjoong slapped a container with cards to the floor and the attendant instantly kneeled down to retrieve it. Quickly he pulled a small flash drive from the computer screen. “Oh no, I’m sorry! I’m so clumsy!” He smiled innocently, feigning guilty when they stood back up with a shy grin. 

“No problem, it happens!” They said and watched the screen. “Oh, seems like you don’t owe us anything! Everything has already been paid for last night.”

Hongjoong nodded, the corners of his lips turned up and his eyes big in gratitude. “Fantastic! Thank you so much! I’ll look for you next time I come around, and- oh! Look, Channie is here already, we better get going!” He took hold of Chan’s elbow and waved, dragging him outside. “Bye, bye!”

Chan was speechless as he got dragged out. They were leaving without paying, they had stolen dozens of things. He glared at Hongjoong and the weirdo wasn’t even blushing from embarrassment. “Really?!” His voice sounded a little higher than usual. “You-! What was that?”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes and kept walking with a tight grip on his elbow. “That was called seduction, and using it for our advantage.” Chan gasped and Hongjoong stopped walking to look at him. “What? You really thought we were going to pay for all that? Did you even see the total? That might be how you work, but that’s not how my boys and I work. Outlaws. There’s a reason we are wanted some places. Now, let’s go before you miss the bus because you’re having an honest guy crisis.”

Chan only agreed to keep walking because he knew he didn’t want to miss the bus, but he could walk and nag. “Hongjoong, you can’t tell me you enjoy living like this. Robbing, getting yourself in trouble, running away all the time, scamming hardworking people. And worst of all, you got all of us involved!”

Hongjoong frowned, thinking. “How so?”

“Whose name do you think was registered there?” Chan sighed. 

“Oh. No! I gave them fake names, you don’t have to worry. Besides, they won’t even notice they got scammed, this is a fail-proof system.” He stopped in front of the ramp to the ship. “After you, golden boy.”

“There will come a day I will have the honor to punch you.” Chan groaned. He knew he was crankier than usual, besides not sleeping well for another night, Hongjoong’s little show got on his nerves more than it should have.

The captain only laughed and followed him inside. “Yeah, sure. Keep dreaming.”

Chan rolled his eyes, this whole thing didn’t sit right with him. And maybe someday he would come back and fix it. Meanwhile, there were other things he needed to make right. He stopped midway on the bridge and turned to Hongjoong. “And there’s something we need to talk about,” he bit his lip and waited until Hongjoong was closer. 

The captain frowned and dismissed Yunho, who was around checking the doors. “If you’re going to preach about how I’m doing things wrong, spare us both.”

“No!” Chan sighed. “Yes. Kind of, but it’s how I am the one doing it all wrong. I almost kissed you last night on the beach,” he looked at Hongjoong, his eyes were wide and focused on his own shoes, his cheeks bright red. He felt a pang of guilt for thinking it was cute. “I want to apologize.”

Hongjoong frowned and cast his eyes to him, one eyebrow raised. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. We ate with the boys, they drank, we all walked together by the beach, and we all went to bed.” He shrugged. “You must have had one hell of a good dream, huh?” He patted Chan’s arm and started to walk away.

To say he was confused was an understatement. “Really?” Chan chuckled in disbelief, but when he turned around Hongjoong was already gone.

The trip to Janfal should have been the quietest ever, with most of them still waking up, or doing their tasks wrapped in blankets because they still wished to be in bed. Wooyoung had a cup of steaming hot coffee - a tad different from Earth, still good - when he sat in front of the control and buckled up. Changbin chose to sit next to him, smiling. “I don’t know if this is a good time, but would you teach me how to fly this? Ours was more intuitive, or maybe I was just more used to it.”

Wooyoung smiled with a nod, truly happy he could help. “It’s never a bad time. And you will see how easy it is to get her to fly.” He pointed to the safety belt, and Changbin buckled up quickly. “Good, now we will check if all the doors are closed, it’s this little sign here.” He indicated in the panel, and Changbin nodded.

“All are closed, right? It’s green, ready to go. Right?” He asked, raising his eyes to Wooyoung.

“Perfect. Now look at the light for the fuel, are we good?” He took a sip of his coffee, waiting until Changbin found the light.

“Almost full.” He said. “The indicators are the same ones we used to have. Is this a universal thing?”

Wooyoung nodded and set the cup aside. “Apparently. I was never anyone else’s pilot, I have no idea. But if you have seen those before, then I would go with yes. Maybe they’re the same everywhere. It would make sense, wouldn’t it?”

Changbin chuckled and nodded. “It would surely make things easier. So, what do we do now?”

“Now we fly.” Wooyoung laughed, teaching him how to take off.

When the ship was high up in the sky, it was easy. There was a radar they had to pay attention to, and another one that would tell them the routes where the galaxy police were, and then a third that indicated clandestine routes they could take to avoid getting caught. “And what happens if they see the ship?”

“Usually they run a quick scan that shows we’re outlaws. That’s when they chase us, and after some time when they realize we won’t stop, they shoot.” Wooyoung giggles. “It’s been a while since it last happened, and we are not anxious to have it happen again.”

He nodded, checking the radars. “Have you ever been caught?” Changbin didn’t think their line of work was that bad, he even talked about it with Hyunjin, who was now asleep on a seat close to them; he thought this could be a really exciting king of life.

Wooyoung shook his head, his dark wavy hair moving from side to side. “No. If we had, chances are we wouldn’t even be here right now.” With a small smile he sighed and faced forward. “We have a long list of things that could get us arrested, they wouldn’t let us leave in a thousand shaks.” He glanced at Changbin, still smiling. “That’s why when one of us says ‘run’, we ‘run’.”

By his tone Changbin knew Wooyoung had no hopes of having a long life in freedom, he knew the moment they got caught, he would spend the rest of his days locked up. It was sad to think such a bright soul would spend the rest of his days in prison, but at the same time Changbin knew next to nothing about him. He was about to say something comforting when he saw something blink in the radar and turned to it. “Woo, I guess it detected something. Seems like a ship.”

Wooyoung leaned towards Changbin and the radar, and then instantly looked ahead, where they could make out a very small dot that shined less bright than a star.

He pressed the button of the communicator to let Hongjoong know they were probably in trouble. “Cap, there’s a ship in front of us, they just took this road,” Wooyoung warned.

Hongjoong was on his way to the kitchen when the message echoed in the speakers and took him to the control room. “What kind of ship is it?” He approached Wooyoung and stood by his side, looking at the glass to see the ship in front of them growing bigger as they got close.

“It’s a vangron ship.” Wooyoung’s voice held a frightened tone. It was like a cursed word, all eyes suddenly on Hongjoong waiting for instructions. He pondered and tried to keep his voice as calm as possible.

“Yunho, raise the shields. Wooyoung, just keep going.” He instructed but kept his eyes on the other ship. It was quiet for a while, their shields were activated and they kept their pace. Still, it was like the whole crew had grown tense. Soon, everyone was occupying the control room to try to find out what was going on.

Changbin pointed to the dot in the radar and showed it to the other pilot. “They stopped moving,” Wooyoung warned. “Do we keep moving?”

“We-“ Hongjoong paused, a sign on the radio. “Shit.” He cursed, took a deep breath, and opened communication. Chan paused a hand on Changbin’s shoulder, sensing his nervousness. His friend relaxed a little, sighed, and looked ahead like they were all doing. Chan was expecting some kind of thick voice to come out, but he didn’t expect the velvety tone it held.

_“This is the VGN-902, a vangron ship. You’re talking to Commander Kaijar, identify.”_

Hongjoong pressed the communication button, glaring at the glass. “This is the ATZ, mixed crew. You’re talking to Captain Hongjoong.”

_“Captain Hongjoong, why are your shields up?”_

Hongjoong frowned. “How do they even know? There’s nothing that could give us away.” He pressed the button again, keeping the same serious tone. “Commander Kaijar, how do you know our shields are up?” 

_“We have a detector. What’s your destination?”_

“Commander, I’d rather not disclose our destination for the comfort of my people. Anything else, Commander?” Hongjoong seemed to be holding back really hard, trying not to snap at the vangron.

The response came flat. _“We detected you have eight humans with you. Are you trafficking?”_

Hongjoong groaned and hit the communication button instantly. “No. We’re a tour ship of farmers from Sotune. We are on vacation, taking the humans to relax after, you know, the Earth exploded.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds longer than usual. But then, they heard it again. _“Do they have identification?”_

“They have the old ones before Earth turned to dust. We have a meeting scheduled with the Council to update it.” Hongjoong said quickly, and the vangron didn’t waste a breath before he answered.

_“Show me their identification.”_

Wooyoung’s eyes were as wide as fists, not sure how they would get away with it. Changbin tensed up again and Chan had no idea why Hongjoong was answering the vangron, but they all seemed scared of them. That’s when Hongjoong picked something out of the back pocket of his pants, opened a screen on the control panel that resembled a scanner, and pressed eight cards on it.

Chan knew what those were. 

“Here they are, Commander. Is that enough?” Hongjoong asked flatly through the communicator. There was a tense silence that lasted for a good three minutes, and nobody dared to move, to speak.

_“Enough. Have a great vacation.”_ And with that, the communication light went off, and they passed by the vangron ship.

“Hongjoong,” Chan called, there was something inside him boiling as dots connected in his head. Hongjoong was picking the cards back when he turned to Chan. 

“Vangrons are so nosey. I hate them.” Hongjoong mumbled.

“Hongjoong, did you loot our ship?” Chan’s voice was icy and angry. He knew these guys were what pop culture called space pirates, but he dared believe they had better intentions, to give them the benefit of doubt and maybe be surprised by a good, honest side they could still have. Apparently, they didn’t have one. “Those are our government IDs. Why do you have them.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes after he placed the IDs back in his pocket. “Because I like souvenirs. We didn’t loot your ship, dumbass. We took what we could, you had nothing of value anyway, I thought we had this conversation already.”

“No, no. You mentioned you took one thing. And nothing of value?” Chan gasped. “We had samples! A hundred little vials with-“

“Dust from Mars?” Hongjoong’s voice carried disdain, his eyes fixed on him. “That’s garbage! No wonder your civilization was so bad at everything, you were collecting dust from fucking Mars!” 

Chan launched forward and closed the distance between them, grabbing Hongjoong by the collar of his shirt. It felt like he looked down at him like he thought Chan was some kind of exotic funny thing he could poke fun of. He shouldn’t be looked down on by someone that could scam even honest people, he had values. “And why are we here? Are we souvenirs too? Are we part of your collectibles?” At this point, Chan would believe anything.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, chuckled, and smirked. “Why? Do you want to be?”

There it was. That facial expression Chan grew to feel attracted to. It infuriated him how Hongjoong could look like a small kitten one minute and the most arrogant prick the next. It was disturbing for his hormones and his whole body always reacted to it. He wanted to take that look off his face. “I want to punch your face so bad!” Chan groaned, Hongjoong’s smirk grew and his eyes traveled to his lips. 

“We both know that’s not what you want to do with my face.” He took Chan’s fist in his hands and made him lose the grip on his shirt. “But go off, I guess. I like it rough.” He winked and walked away.

Chan had no reaction, no comeback to that. Were they alone in a room he might’ve called him out, but everyone was in the same place and everyone was watching. Hongjoong wasn’t wrong, and now that small piece of information would nag at him until he did something about it. He caught Minho’s look in the corner, and how he widened his eyes in shock.

He was done for.

Wooyoung turned to Changbin slowly, the whole room was dead silent. “So. That was a ship.” He nodded a few times. “Is he always this intense?”

Changbin sighed out loud and focused on watching the radars. “Only when someone or something gets under his skin.”

Seonghwa watched as Hongjoong paced around the kitchen, a bottle of cycle-floss in hand, opened for quite some time now. In his opinion, the self-proclaimed captain looked adorable when he was concentrated, and that was a common occurrence. What was new was the pacing. He stomped from one corner to the other, paused midway to mumble something, and then got back to pacing. 

It was cute for a while, but then it started to get annoying, and Seonghwa had to make him stop. He stood in front of Hongjoong and held him by the shoulders, grounding him. “Tell me what’s going on, or don’t, but please drink this cycle-floss and stop pacing around.”

Hongjoong blinked a few times as he had just noticed Seonghwa was there. Without a word, he downed half of the bottle. “I’m in a dilemma, help me.”

“Okay, sit down first.” Seonghwa guided him to a chair and had him sit down. He sat on the chair next to him and nodded. “Now, what is worrying you?”

He put the bottle on the table and sighed. “Hwa, I have the feeling that intervention we had wasn’t an accident,” he shook his head. “It wasn’t a coincidence, they knew exactly what to look for and they found us.”

“Agreed. But what’s the dilemma?” Seonghwa nodded, imitating Hongjoong’s secretive tone. 

“The dilemma is: do I care about them enough to meddle? Or should we just let the vangron have them? Because meddling could get us in deep, deep, deep trouble. But letting them walk right into what looks like a vangron trap is too cruel, isn’t it?” He drank some more of the cycle-floss and searched Seonghwa’s eyes with his.

To his surprise, Seonghwa was smiling.

He took Hongjoong’s hand in his and intertwined their fingers together. “Joong, you started caring the moment you set your eyes on them. If you didn’t care, you would have just called help and given them the coordinates.” He kisses Hongjoong’s knuckles, smiling. “Like it or not, you have some goodness in you.”

Hongjoong felt like his chest was about to explode when Seonghwa’s lips made contact with his skin. It had always been like this, ever since they started traveling together. The former emperor-to-be didn’t have to do much to get Hongjoong melting for him. “Ew, good people are gross,” his voice didn’t hold any disgust, and there was a smile on his lips. “Maybe it’s your fault, I swear I was cruel before I met you.”

“You were not!” Seonghwa chuckled and leaned into Hongjoong’s space. “You wouldn’t have let me join if you were. I was desperate, you knew it. And then I didn’t even have to beg to bring Yeosang with us.”

He scrunched up his nose, trying to deny it. “He’s a doctor, therefore, useful. That’s the only reason I haven’t thrown him in a nebula or a black hole yet.”

Seonghwa smirked. “You didn’t know that back then.”

“Shhh!” Hongjoong laughed. “Of course I did. I looked at him and thought he looked like a doctor.” He watched Seonghwa laugh harder, still holding his hand. 

“Sure, sure.” He nodded and sighed, eyes on Hongjoong. “Are you feeling better?”

“I am.” He said and groaned. “Damn, Chan will throw a fit again. He’s been at my throat since he saw us leave Goonia without paying. Then he nagged because I have their IDs like that’s a big deal. Can you believe he tried to bring up the fact he almost kissed me on the beach?”

Seonghwa dropped his hand on an impulse, and suddenly the bottle seemed more interesting. “I was going to ask you about this too. What is even going on between you two?” He didn’t want to sound accusatory, or jealous. Even if Seonghwa wanted it, he knew Hongjoong wasn’t his, he couldn’t hold him back from doing things he wanted. And right now, Bang Chan seemed like something Hongjoong really wanted to do.

“Nothing. Chan is a nice guy, I feel he is a good leader and you can see his boys adore him. They will follow him to the depths of the Universe if he asks them to. He is magnetic, there’s no way he won’t be noticed in a crowd, you know?” Hongjoong says honestly. “He is attractive, he is someone I would pursue if I had feelings for.”

“Don’t you?” Seonghwa questioned.

Hongjoong shook his head. “Not romantic feelings, just physical attraction. I think it falls more on the platonic side of the spectrum as I would really like to keep him as a friend.”

Seonghwa nodded and was about to say something and stand up when Jisung and Chan entered the kitchen. “And here he is.” He mumbled, but Hongjoong clearly heard him. 

They approached the table, talking about something and laughing.

“Mind if we join?” Jisung asked with a bright smile.

“No, take a seat. We need to talk.” Hongjoong said and watched as both sat down.

After they sat down, Hongjoong started to explain why they should reconsider going to the audience. Chan mentioned he read about the vangrons, about all the bad things they did, and also the good things. “We’re trying to be legal, not the opposite. I don’t see a reason why they would do something to us.”

Hongjoong groaned and slumped back on the chair. “Because. They. Are. Mean. Bastards! You read yourself they enslave weaker races!” He launched forward again and Chan rolled his eyes.

“You’re too paranoid!” Chan barked and Hongjoong looked like a man holding on to his last thread of patience. Jisung and Seonghwa exchanged a look that showed they knew their captain and commander.

“You’re dumb,” Hongjoong said matter of factly, gesticulating with his arms opened. “That’s why you went extinct, I should have known.”

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Chan stood up. He supported his weight against the table with one hand and pointed his finger to Hongjoong’s face. His voice came out low, full of anger, the words paused. “Never, ever, say that again. You’re saying that because you’re a paranoid freak that is always running away from something or someone. But surprise, some people don’t have to live watching their backs or afraid of their own shadow. We have no reason to run, and we won’t!”

As Chan started to walk away, with Jisung on his toes, Hongjoong stood up too. “Don’t ask us for help when you find yourself locked in the storage of a vangron ship, or being taken away as an exotic product to be sold to collectors. And try not to cry too much when you never see your friends again.” Chan makes a brief pause but doesn’t look back. If he had a comeback, he gave up and resumed walking away.

  
  


Janfal was crowded.

At least the part where they were, where streets crossed and suspended passways went all ways. There were clothing stores, fast food restaurants, young people coming and going, people looking busy while they talked to some kind of communicator that consisted of a small earpiece, carrying suitcases. But mostly, the terminal where they stood consisted of people with luggage, ready to travel.

They parked the ship outside, on the back of the terminal where the loading and unloading happened and they wouldn’t be noticed that easily. Hongjoong and Chan had been glaring on each other’s general direction since the argument, and Seonghwa took it upon him to take care of the rest. “We will pick you up exactly where we dropped you, ok?” He smiled and Minho nodded.

“Thank you. If we come back and you’re not here yet, what do we do?” He asked, looking annoyed at Chan’s silence.

“Take a look around, there are lots of stores and food places here. You have the money I gave you, right?” Seonghwa checked. He thought it would be helpful to aid them with some money for emergencies.

Minho nodded with a shy but grateful smile. “Yes. Again, thank you for the tickets and tips on how to get there.”

“Try not to be kidnapped and enslaved by a race that thinks they’re superior.” Hongjoong chimed in, smirking when he heard Chan make an offending sound. “I’ll be waiting on the ship with Yunho and Jongho. Travel safely!” 

The second Hongjoong walked away, Seonghwa gave Minho a wary smile. “I know he sounds crazy, but if you think something is off, then maybe it is. So just run away, ok?”

Minho nodded. “Don’t worry, I will be alert.”

  
  


Yunho leaned against the wall with Hongjoong and Jongho, the ship a few meters away from them. They watched the doors to the loading and unloading open and close as more vehicles arrived. A space bus had just entered when a tricycle with the vangron emblem stopped to wait their turn to drive inside. Attached to it there was a cart with four wheels, opened on the sides, carrying things that sent shivers down the spine of every person that had a problem with the law. Jongho took a step away from the wall, Hongjoong and Yunho both stared at the cart with horror in their eyes. “Five, six, seven… eight.” Jongho counted. “They have eight Lockers in that cart, guys.”

Lockers were one of the many prisoner contenders the GGRC used. Some dealt on shock, some bound the prisoner fully deeming them unable to move a finger. But not the Lockers. Those were usually for prisoners that they didn’t want getting hurt, the ones they wanted to preserve for whatever cruel destiny they decided upon. It was a long but narrow tube that they filled with preserving fluid after the prisoner was inside. Instantly they would lose their conscience and float in a deep sleep until someone decided to drain it. Most wild creatures sold in the clandestine market came in Lockers. Some of them didn’t survive the preserving fluid.

“Shit.” Yunho turned to Jongho, he had a frown and stared with some confusion at the back of their captain. Hongjoong was screaming at his communicator as he ran towards the ship. He turned around to give them a look that meant they should follow him immediately.

Ever since he was a kid Seonghwa was taught and expected to never show his emotions on his face, even if his whole world was crumbling down. He was supposed to be a rock for his people, someone they could rely on and feel confident in. It was important to never show any kind of distress, even more, if the situation was a bad one. That changed when he joined the ATZ crew and learned the more expressive he was, the better. He learned that sometimes he had to look a certain way to Wooyoung across the room to let him know people were going to notice him pickpocketing, or to Mingi when he spoke too much in front of people they couldn’t trust. And there was that special look he was always throwing Hongjoong when their captain was being a little bit too much.

Comparatively, that was the kind of situation he was using everything he learned in the palace, keeping his neutral face even though Hongjoong was yelling orders in his earpiece, with Jongho and Yunho screeching in the back. Seonghwa smiled at Minho and Chan, the ones closest to him, unable to pay attention to what they were saying and asking, and tried to throw San one of his looks with meaning. He was leaning against a pillar, unbothered by the people crowding the platform for the space bus that would take them to Veahiri. So unbothered he ignored Seonghwa’s look and smiled sweetly, eyes instantly falling back on the stores across the street. He couldn’t make a fuss, there was no way of knowing if some of those people were there to get them, and his boys were too entertained to notice how he needed them to act on it.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Seonghwa started in a susurrus, cutting off Chan as he was saying something, “but as calmly and as naturally as possible, we need to leave.”

Minho frowned and Chan’s eyes widened briefly, both putting their normal facade back on. “Are they here?” Minho questioned, not moving to look around. Chan also stood still, only his eyes moving from one side to the other.

Seonghwa hummed and gingerly glanced behind their shoulders as if he was checking on the other boys. He could see a tall vangron casually walking the platform, he had his hands in his pockets, no bags, short hair, and an attentive look. Besides him, Seonghwa couldn’t see any more evidence of them being watched. “I think I can see one of them. The boys saw them bringing in eight lockers from the back, right now they are probably loading those into the bus. We need to be fast and cautious.”

“I don’t know what’s a locker, but it doesn’t sound good,” Chan whispered and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do you have a plan?”

Seonghwa shook his head. “Hongjoong is yelling, hold on.” He pressed his earpiece and hissed. “Quit being loud. I’m dealing with it, wait for us where you are.” When he smiled back at Chan and Minho he looked like he hadn’t just dealt with a loud crew. “I have an idea, but I need you both to act with me.”

Chan and Minho nodded in agreement, ready to put the plan in action.

“Hey, someone just informed Seonghwa they changed the boarding platform, come on.” Minho nudged Jisung off the bench he was sitting on, dismissing his confused look when he noticed almost all the others with them had already disappeared from his camp of vision. “Don’t react, don’t freak out. Someone’s after us and we’re trying to leave without a commotion.”

Jisung nodded but froze in his spot. “It’s the vangron, right? Hongjoong was right.” Minho nodded and Jisung scoffed as he started moving again with Minho. “I knew it. We should listen to those who have been living here since they were born.”

“Nice, now shut up.” Minho hissed with a smile that contrasted well with his tone. “Or I’m going to throw you to them myself.”

Jisung made a face, keeping his pace. “So much for a best friend.”

“You traded me for Felix, don’t even start.” Minho rolled his eyes, guiding him to the spot where Seonghwa and Chan pretended to look at an information board, the others facing several different directions, pretending to be in awe with the architecture.

Jisung gasped and recovered instantly. “Do you want me to start talking about your infatuation? Hoes over bros, right? Ouch!” He exclaimed when Minho slapped the back of his head. 

They stood next to Seonghwa and Chan, Minho with a satisfied smile and Jisung with a pout, rubbing the back of his head. 

The information board rotated, hovering a few meters above them, showing information about every departure and arrival, with the time and number of the platform. Around them, people walked fast to reach their destination, carrying bags, coats, cages with animals, small trolleys, and boxes. Seonghwa had explained earlier how one of the most crowded space buses was the one coming from Dovefort, a big county from where most people working in the capitol were from, and how it would be easier to blend in once the new arrival flooded the terminal with people. Chan suggested they separated in groups to make it easier, so Mingi was going to guide Jisung and Minho out. San and Wooyoung would guide Felix, Changbin, and Hyunjin, while Yeosang was with Jeongin and Seungmin. They agreed Chan and Seonghwa should stick together, as they would be the ones overlooking the others. 

“It’s about to stop on the platform,” Seonghwa said, eyes on the board. As the numbers counted down to zero, everyone readied themselves. They were supposed to walk as fast as they could and meet by the back door, where the ship would be parked. Seonghwa could still hear Hongjoong throwing a fit over the earpiece, and would now and then warn him they were _on their way_. His eyes focused on the numbers, Chan’s eyes focused on searching for any signs of security around them. “And… now!” Seonghwa nudged Chan’s side, and with a sign of his hand, everyone was on the move. 

Just as Seonghwa said it would be, the terminal was suddenly flooded with all types and races, coming and going, walking fast, and mumbling apologies whenever they bumped into them. If they weren’t alert, they could easily lose each other. Looking around Chan could see his boys, all focused and serious, dodging people, boxes, carts, and sometimes hands trying to grab at them. 

_What?_ _  
_ _  
_ As Chan realized how that wasn’t normal, he noticed a tall, strong man coming towards him from the left, trying to run against the people forming a wall of moving bodies that made his task harder. “Seonghwa!” Chan called, but Seonghwa seemed to have noticed too. His hand closed around Chan’s wrist and he yelped when he was yanked forward and the yondir’s body stepped in front of him, with a gun in hand he delivered an accurate shot on the man’s chest. He stopped moving instantly and people opened a space to let him fall on the floor.

There were shouts, screams, and the sound of shots all around them. People started to run and suddenly Chan couldn’t see his boys, running just because Seonghwa kept yanking him, keeping the Galaxy Police away from them by shooting them one by one.   
San and Wooyoung were in front of them, guns in hands as they shot over Seonghwa and Chan’s shoulders. There was a bloody cut under San’s left eye, but he wasn't affected by it, looking almost happy as he shot people. Only when they passed between them both that Chan noticed the ship parked right there, with Hongjoong by the door shooting the guards that came from the other sides.

“Hop in, idiot!” He shouted at Chan, who simply obeyed. A moment after he fell inside the other three joined and the door was closed. Through the metal, they could hear the sounds of shots hitting the ship.

Chan sat on the floor after he saw his boys safe and sound leaving the bridge to help Wooyoung and San in the control room. Seonghwa rested his back against the wall facing Hongjoong, who turned to him with a worried look. “Are you okay?”

Seonghwa threw him a small smile and nodded. “I’m good. A laser grazed San’s face, he’s lucky he’s quick to dodge.” Hongjoong smiled back like they were exchanging a small conversation with their eyes. Chan hadn’t paid them too much attention before, but they looked close, it felt almost like he was watching something he shouldn’t. “Next time, please don’t yell.”

“Noted. I will try. We need to give Jongho a few lessons on piloting, I swear he almost killed us.” Hongjoong tried to sound mad, but there was fondness in his voice and Seonghwa laughed. Chan felt it was his cue to leave, but as he slowly rose from his place, Hongjoong pointed to him and snapped. “And you, Bang Chan, you brainless imbecile, should apologize to your boys and me. You almost got everyone killed because you refuse to listen to people.”

Seonghwa stepped away from the wall and nodded to Chan. “Excuse me, I’ll check on the kids.” And without another word he left. As if they had agreed on it, they waited until Seonghwa had crossed the bridge into the control room before they started talking again.

“I know!” Chan stood up, dusting off his clothes. “I know. You don’t have to hold it against me.”

Hongjoong looked at him, anger was evident on his face and Chan wouldn’t even try to make it better, he deserved it. “Oh, I do. I warned you, I tried to be as explanatory about it as I could and you still let your good guy complex and pride take over you. You are not dumb, but you refuse to listen to people who have a lot more experience getting the short end of the stick with these monsters.”

Chan took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. “I just wanted us all to have a chance to get at least a little of our previous lives back! You are the one that said that was an option!”

“Because I had no idea they would come at you like that! The moment suspicion arose I brought it up. And what did you do? You turned it down and called me paranoid because I have to spend my days running away. But guess what? Running away has kept me and my boys alive for shaks!” Hongjoong could feel his voice starting to rise again, too much adrenaline for such a short period.

That was the thing Chan hated the most, he had apologized already, and he still had to apologize to the kids, to all of them. But Hongjoong wouldn’t stop talking, he kept on shoving his mistakes on his face. “I said I am sorry! I said I am going to apologize to them and I will listen to you when you say something isn’t safe! Why can’t you let go?”

“Why?” Hongjoong’s laugh was bitter and full of pent-up anger. “Because you could have stood under the radar, we could have helped you without any of this. But no, little Channie had to put on a show to please the goddamn vangron empire, it was important to be on the good side of the GGRC. Because Channie is a good guy, he doesn’t mix with robbers and runaways, right?” He smiled sweetly just to glare right away. “Congratulations! Now they know where you are, now they can track the ship, now they can find you and us! Good job, dumbass!”

He felt like shit. Chan felt guilty, stupid, and naive for believing he could make things at least resemble their life before the accident. Now he knew what Hongjoong was talking about, how people in power were not there because they wanted the best for everyone, they were there because they wanted the best for themselves. And still, he refused to lower his head to Hongjoong, not while he kept that attitude. “How did you find out they were after us?” He tried to come out as calm as he could, even though his blood was boiling and everything in him wanted to blame Hongjoong for scheduling the audience and giving away their IDs.

“They were going to put you in lockers.” He mumbled as he walked closer, he stopped a few centimeters from Chan. “I couldn’t let them do that. Not to your kids and especially not to you.” Hongjoong looked down at their feet. “Shit.” He seemed to realize what he just said. “Just go apologize to them.” Turning on his heels he walked - almost ran - away.

“Hongjoong?” Chan called. “What does that mean?” He questioned to empty walls, hearing the sound of the captain’s footsteps echoes. He shook his head and followed, he knew where he was going.

It didn’t take long for him to catch up, Hongjoong knew how to get on his nerves with the small things. Chan followed him inside the office, getting even more frustrated he couldn’t slam the door. Space and all its electronic doors be damned. 

Hongjoong didn’t seem to notice he had been followed if Chan was going to take it by how he widened his eyes and hissed when he grabbed his wrist and spun him around. 

“What do you think you’re doing? What was that about?” Chan groaned, eyes fixed on Hongjoong’s. This push and pull, the half-truths and omission had been getting to him for a while now. Hongjoong shook his arm, trying to get rid of his hold but failed. The captain was smart and fast, but Chan was undeniably stronger. “Hongjoong!”

“Let me go!” Hongjoong hissed again, his fangs showing. 

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!” Chan pulled him, trying to impose some kind of authority. He couldn’t tower over Hongjoong, but he could look just as menacing.

Hongjoong tried to pull back, but he hit the table with his lower back, and Chan stumbled with him. He tightened the grip on his wrist. 

“Bang Chan, you are a pain in the ass.” Hongjoong groaned. “You wouldn’t understand, I don’t have everything figured out yet, and maybe I will never have!”

“If you keep pretending nothing happened at the beach and that you didn’t imply something just now, for sure.” He scoffed.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes, and if he was leaning against the table before, now he was on Chan’s face. “I was not implying anything. Don’t act like you know how to read me when all I was talking about is how Lockers are a cruel thing. I may be a pirate, an outlaw, a robber, but I have immense respect for life, freedom. I have reasons to be way more affected by it than I normally would.”

Chan couldn’t help rolling his eyes, Hongjoong was a tight-lipped freak. Hot, yes, but a tight-lipped freak. “Care to share what are your reasons?” 

As he thought, Hongjoong looked at him with disdain. He tried pulling his wrist again, but Chan tightened the grip again, a weird kind of satisfaction reverberated through him when the vunoi whined. “Not yet.”

Of course, he wouldn’t share. Chan laughed bitterly, shaking his head. Even if he did have reasons, the fact that Chan was in front of him giving him the order to share it was motivation enough for Hongjoong to be a stubborn jerk and not say a thing. Chan looked at him, those raised eyebrows, that disdainful look, pretty lips, and tiny nose. “Fuck you.”

Hongjoong didn’t change the look he was giving him because he knew Chan hated it, but the corner of his lips went up just barely. “Fuck me.”

Time froze and the office seemed too warm all of a sudden. He had been dancing around the idea for some time now, everybody could see how he looked at Hongjoong. And Chan wasn’t dumb, Hongjoong checked him out too, flirted with him, and gave him the green light to keep going most times.

It was when Hongjoong lifted his chin and chuckled in defiance that it all went downhill: all his resolutions, all his self-imposed rules, all his self-control. Later he would like to think the rush and thrill of the danger they had been in moments ago was what fueled it, but he would be lying to himself if he said that was all. The way their lips crashed wasn’t pleasurable at all, it was violent, it hurt. He pulled Hongjoong closer by the wrist and pushed his body against his, hearing the man’s gasp when his lower back hit the table again. It was the chance Chan needed, his tongue moved past parted lips to swipe over Hongjoong’s, and the guttural sound he made went straight to his crotch. 

Chan whined when Hongjoong pulled back to bite his lower lip, grabbed his shirt, and held him close to his body with his free hand. Of course, it would hurt, and of course, the asshole was going to use his pointy teeth to mark his neck. 

“Shit!” Chan moaned because of course, it was the kind of pain that felt nice, that made him release the wrist he had been holding and thrust his groin forward, pressing on the vunoi’s. Chan didn’t even know if he had a dick or if his species even got hard, but the way he gasped and sank his teeth on his neck - and the hard volume on his pants - told him he was on the right path. He used his newly freed hand to tug Hongjoong’s goggles off, rutting against him and grabbing his blue strands.

Hongjoong chuckled, running his tongue over a bite that would surely be there for the next couple of nubs. “So eager, huh? Who would’ve thought?” He boasted and pressed his leg between Chan’s. 

It was at that moment he decided he wouldn’t allow this brat to be cocky. Chan gripped his hair to pull his head back, and he took a moment to admire Hongjoong’s shiny with spit lips, parted. His flushed cheeks and messy hair. The idiot looked like a whole meal. “Shut up. I’m going to bend you against this table and fuck you so hard you won’t have strength on your legs when I’m done.”

There was excitement in Hongjoong’s eyes. And then he narrowed them and slid both hands under Chan’s shirt, the tips of his thumbs rubbed against his nipples and Chan had to hold back a moan. “I expect you to. Release all this anger, commander!” Hongjoong chuckled and Chan couldn’t help attacking his lips again. He put both hands on the back of Hongjoong’s thighs and sat him on the table, impressed at how quick his legs spread to fit Chan between them. He enjoyed their banter, he liked when Hongjoong was sarcastic, he felt alive when he looked into those caramel-colored eyes and could almost taste the challenge. Hongjoong wasn’t afraid of anything, he didn’t bow his head to anyone, no matter how important they were, and he thought that was hella cool. It was scary, and he never paused to ponder about it long enough, but this man awakened in him his wildest instincts, brought to surface his biggest need for freedom, real freedom. Not the imaginary kind people have when they play by the big guys’ rules. The kind of freedom that doesn’t require anyone to put on a mask to please the others, the kind of freedom one only gets when they have lost everything they knew.

Chan felt alive when he was with Hongjoong. 

His shirt was gone, Hongjoong’s coat was gone, his tank top discarded on the floor. He looked gorgeous laying on the table in front of Chan, bite marks on his neck and chest that moved with deep breaths. Chan touched him over his pants, and there was definitely an erection there. “How is it?” Chan asked. “How does it go from here?”

Hongjoong laughed. “So dumb. All this time and you didn’t search vunoi sex online? I thought you were more into me.”

“It’s complicated,” Chan started. 

“I don’t do complicated.” Hongjoong licked his lips. “I want you now, I want you inside me. It’s that simple.”

Chan popped open the button on Hongjoong’s pants and pulled down the zíper. “Works for me.” Before he tugged Hongjoong’s pants down, he glanced at him.

“Guide me?”

Hongjoong lifted his upper body, and in a very out-of-character act for the situation they found themselves in, smiled fondly at him, brushing his thumb over Chan’s bottom lip. “Of course. Guide me too, ok?”

Chan smiled and took Hongjoong’s thumb between his lips. “Okay.” And without further talking, he tugged his pants down. 

It was all very similar and at the same time very different. Hongjoong’s skin was soft and felt like velvet under Chan’s touch. He was mesmerized by how responsive the other man was to everything he did. Hongjoong was different, both in size, girth and form. He had a pointy tip on the soft head with subtle ridges down the shaft. The round protuberances that lined him from the base to the underside of the gland in a spiral felt amazing in Chan’s hand. He stroked him, picking up a pace, and watched in awe as Hongjoong squirmed. “You look so good like this. Where is that arrogant captain that was barking at me just a moment ago, huh?”

“S-shut up!” Hongjoong gasped and sat up quickly, a hand closing on Chan’s throat and surprising him. His grin gave away how much he liked how Chan widened his eyes and lost the dom facade. “If you keep teasing and don’t hurry up, I’m going to eat your eyeballs!”

Chan smirked and twisted his hand, Hongjoong moaned. “Aw, but we still need to find something to get you all slippery and nice.” Hongjoong didn’t answer with words, he took the hand off Chan’s neck and with a hold of his wrist, guided his hand down to his opening.

To his surprise, they didn’t have to look for anything that would make the role of lube, turned out vunoi had natural lubrication down there. He pressed a single digit to the opening and it easily slipped inside, eliciting an inhale from the other. “This is very useful, and… Wow, you’re leaking all over the table already. Is this how much I affect you?”

Hongjoong glared, gathered all his self-control, and narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to eat your eyeballs _and_ your tongue.” Chan laughed and caught him in a passionate kiss.

Chan felt lightheaded during it all. Hongjoong was the right amount of tight, and his moans and whimpers sounded like music in between the slapping of their skins. Their kisses were sloppy and messy, full of teeth. He knew he would have red trails caused by nails down his back, his shoulders, and sides. And he could see the bruises his fingers were leaving on Hongjoong’s hips, his chest, his neck, his thighs. He had never felt so into sex, and by the moment he came inside Hongjoong, and Hongjoong came between them, he could feel sweat running down his back.

It was him that leaned down to press his lips to the vunoi’s. “You were amazing.” He breathed out and got a smirk in return.

“And here I thought I would be able to punch you.” Hongjoong joked. “You were great too, Chan.” He closed his eyes for a brief second, and when he opened them up again he sat up to bring Chan into his arms. 

“We saw them bringing in eight Lockers. Do you remember the ones I showed you, that are used for collecting living beings? Those.” He sighed, holding Chan close. “They never intended to let you reach the Council. I don’t know why they would want you, but I suppose they would want you as some kind of trophy. That’s how they treat the remaining Syab, their very own slaves and pretty things they show around.” He peeled himself from him and looked away. “There are many unanswered questions there.” 

Chan frowned and held Hongjoong’s face in his hands. He looked so delicate with his messy, sweaty hair and swollen kissed lips, and flushed cheeks. “Thank you for saving us. And thank you for keeping on saving us. I appreciate it in ways I can’t even describe, and I am truly sorry for never listening to you. I will do everything I can to fix this, okay?”

Hongjoong nodded with a small smile. Something stirred in Chan’s chest, and he captured Hongjoong’s lips again. “Are you always this soft after sex?” Chan realized one second too late he shouldn’t have said that, because Hongjoong groaned, and before he could peel himself off of him he was getting bitten on the shoulder. “Ouch!”

“This is a warning,” Hongjoong said, glaring at him and using his foot to push him away. “Get me my shirt, if you’re going to keep blabbering nonsense I’m going to clean up, it’s more useful.” 

He blinked a few times, amazed at how Hongjoong could look and sound like the cutest being in the universe one second, and switch to a bossy, snarky brat the next. “Geez, sure.” Chan tossed him his shirt and put his underwear on, followed by his pants. Hongjoong did clean up, using the shirt as a cloth. He dressed up again, his coat hanging opened to a naked chest. The view was great, but it was just one more detail that gave away something happened in that office. 

Chan watched as he crumpled up the shirt in the smallest ball of fabric possible and tugged on his coat to flatten it a little. “You’re staring. Did I miss a spot?” Hongjoong looked down at his belly, searching for something to clean up.

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, you’re just showing everyone we did it, walking around shirtless, with your chest and neck decorated with love bites and messy hair. Good job at being discreet.” Chan didn’t mean to sound like he was reprimanding him, but somehow that’s how it sounded the moment the words left him.

The captain eyed him, raising one eyebrow. “Oh, so you have a problem with that, huh? What’s the matter, Channie? Your boyfriend doesn’t know you go around having intercourse with - what is it? What’s the word you use? Aliens?” He threw Chan a contemptuous look with a hint of disgust. “Wow.”

It was the way he phrased it that made Chan feel horrible. The way Hongjoong looked like he had been used as a toy for his pleasure, and was now being hidden under the bed like some dirty secret. And Chan wanted to tell him it was not like that, Minho wasn’t his boyfriend and they had talked about this. He wanted to say Hongjoong made his blood boil with something akin to anything he had ever felt for anyone, and that was one of the reasons he gave in and went on with this, but he didn’t. “He’s not my boyfriend!” He said dumbly, like a fifth-grader denying he had a crush on someone. And Hongjoong waited like he knew there was more coming, but there was an invisible hand on Chan’s throat, another covering his lips, and he stood there paralyzed, silent. _He still needed to apologize to the kids._

When nothing came out of his lips, Hongjoong sighed heavily and shook his head. “Wow.” He repeated and left the office without looking back. 

He stopped in front of the cleaner and shoved his shirt inside. Hongjoong couldn’t believe how dumb he had been, it was _obvious_ he was just curious, it was obvious he was just a plaything. And honestly, he didn’t even want to be more than that, but he didn’t want to be treated as just that. The fast cleaning button pressed, he was going to wait to get it back and save himself the trouble to look for a clean shirt, but the ship came to a halt that got him stumbling and falling on his ass. “Perfect.” He groaned in mild pain when he stood up and ran to the control room, hearing footsteps of everyone else doing the same thing. 

The control room was full of people - including Chan, he noticed - when he arrived. He walked past them to stop behind San piloting the ship that now floated in the same spot. There was a GGRC ship in front of them, holding them in place with a force field. Hongjoong didn’t have the mind of putting himself together, and without a word, he pressed the communicator button.

_“Here is the Galaxy General Regimental Council to issue this ship’s crew one fair warning: Earthlings have three nubs counting from the end of this message to present themselves to the Council in Veahiri. Failure to do so will put your names and faces on the wanted list, and you will be considered enemies of the Council. You have been warned.”_

The communication got cut, the ship flew around them and the force field disappeared, setting them free. Hongjoong could feel all eyes on him, many questions on the tip of everyone’s tongues. He was grateful when he felt Mingi’s hand on his shoulder and San’s soft, soothing voice in front of him. “Where to, cap?”

In that situation, there was only one obvious answer. 

“To Sotune, San. Take us home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.
> 
> Hehe.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chan and Hongjoong have a heart-to-heart that can change everything. Seungmin, on the other hand, got an unwanted TMI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter:
> 
> Starman - David Bowie  
> Life On Mars? - David Bowie  
> Heroes - David Bowie

“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and… bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant.”

\- Doctor Who

Warp drive was one of the most fascinating things in Chan’s opinion. One second they were crossing the Norax Nebula, leaving Janfal in a hurry. Next, a wormhole was swallowing the ship, shooting them across space-time into the middle of the Turgato System. As Chan had gathered from his studies, that meant they were far into the depths of a universe that kept expanding. He placed a hand on the window when the land in Sotune became apparent, lights flickering from the cities below them, full of life. It was probably late at night for them, his body hurt and he was tired.

But maybe it was related to his last activity.

Chan still could feel the weight of Hongjoong’s last look, making him feel worse every time he thought about it. He wanted to apologize, he even looked for him, but Hongjoong was great at avoiding things he deemed unworthy of his time, aka Chan. He made Chan feel invisible, passing by him like he wasn’t even there, addressing everyone in the room but him. It was piffle behavior but made his point across: he was pissed, he was hurt, he thought Chan was a piece of garbage. He still didn’t know exactly what to tell him to get back on his good side, and maybe he would never get back on his good side. On top of it all, there was the Vangron issue. That was something Chan didn’t know how to deal with, he had no clue where to start and much less how to end it. With his forehead pressed on the window, he noticed Changbin and Jisung standing one on each side of him.

“I think we need a meeting as soon as we land,” Changbin squeezed Chan’s shoulder with his hand, unaware his shoulder was already sensitive because not long ago there were fangs stuck in his skin. He winced, but if Changbin noticed he didn’t mention it.

Jisung’s hand was on the small of his back, rubbing circles. “Don’t beat yourself up, hyung. We all make mistakes. I say we should listen to them more, they know about these guys better than we do, anyway.”

“Back home we would be these guys, that’s what gets me the most. We worked for the government.” Changbin dropped his hand and Chan sighed in relief. 

“You make the government sound as bad as weird pompous aliens, you know? I don’t want to be compared to them.” Jisung made a face Chan saw reflected on the window and couldn’t help a chuckle.

“I refuse to comment on that, thank you.” Changbin rolled his eyes and slapped Chan’s back, gaining a whine from him. “Hey, cheer up, we’re all good. We’ve been surviving quite a few things lately, we will survive this one too. You don’t need to be so gloomy.”

Slowly Chan turned to them. There was no safe way to explain to them that touching his torso wasn’t an option, because he was bitten and scratched and full of Vunoi’s love (hate?) bites. And those were quite aggressive. 

He did what he thought would be the easiest way. “I’m not gloomy just because I almost got us all killed by rabid guards. I did something really stupid, which is the reason Hongjoong is avoiding me.” Chan pulled the zipper on his jacket down, and his shirt had the collar dug enough to allow them a good view of the state of his skin.

Jisung’s mouth fell open and Changbin facepalmed himself. “Is this what I think it is, Christopher?”

Chan pulled the zipper back up. “We really need a meeting. Just the three of us, and you,” he looked at Jisung, “are going to hold yourself together and not tell anyone before we have said meeting.”

“Not even Felix?” Jisung whined, but the way Chan looked at him said everything. “Fine. But I want the details.”

Sotune was lavender from space, a small purple ball floating between Star 1117 and Star 0325, its two moons. It stood close to Lacebos, that besides the two moons also shared Turgato, the sun, with Sotune. Put together, it was called The Turgato System, tucked in the depths of the universe, far from many things, pacific at best. Sotune was the original land for the vunoi, the race with pointy teeth and night vision, that could be more flexible than most and had reflexes that put draans to shame. As time passed, many other races made a home in Sotune, attracted by the great soil for growing Yeogette and Keacot. As shaks went by, more and more eelnoth and struk populated Sotune, mingling, and marrying, and having kids. Except with the vunoi themselves, who found out their bodies were incapable of generating a child that wasn’t fully, totally, completely, one hundred percent Vunoi. 

They were incompatible with any other race. 

Seungmin frowned when their ship left the city lights behind and entered the darkness he imagined was a field, the rural area of wherever they were. He looked away from the window and back to the hologram in front of him, the long text about Sotune and the Vunoi opened in the part he stopped. There was no other way of knowing everything about the planet besides reading things over and over again. He was concentrated but couldn’t help noticing when someone sat next to him. 

“You like to read a lot, don’t you?” Mingi sounded tired, his voice hoarse like he hadn’t slept well. And maybe he didn’t, Seungmin saw him take over Seonghwa’s position when Hongjoong disappeared somewhere and Seonghwa took over his place as the co-captain. 

Seungmin nodded and looked away from the document. “I do. I think it’s the easiest way to learn.” He smiled and stiffened a little when Mingi invaded his space in favor of reading what was on the screen.

“Sotune’s history and the Vunoi. Nice. But you have like, two and a half Vunoi in this ship could ask them.” He smiled and rested back in his own seat, allowing Seungmin to breathe again. 

He shrugged, ready to tell him he didn’t want to bother anyone when something shifted his attention. “What do you mean by two and a half?”

“Huh?” Mingi turned his head to Seungmin with a raised eyebrow. “One, San. Two, Wooyoung. Half, Hongjoong. Two and a half Vunoi.”

“It says here Vunoi can’t give birth or be birthed by any other race. Are you talking about his height?” Seungmin was confused, Mingi looked delighted.

He shook his head with a soft laugh. “I would never talk about his height, he accepts and embraces his shortness, it’s no fun.” His smile grew and Mingi touched Seungmin’s hand to turn the ring off, making the hologram disappear. “Read, and then ask. There are many things you won’t find in books and articles. There is one race Vunoi are very compatible with, very fertile, very soft. Very rare after Earth blew up.”

Seungmin felt everything around them disappear. He didn’t know what was causing it because Mingi’s hand was still on his, and there was too much information connecting in his mind. “He’s human. Half. Human. Half-human, half-vunoi. How?” 

Mingi nodded and finally pulled his hand off. “Don’t tell him I told you, but we all agree the main reason he rescued you lot is that you’re human. Any other race he would have had the time of his life leaving them to float into oblivion. But you all, to finally be close and able to talk to humans, he felt something.”

“But how?” Seungmin was curious now because apparently, the universe wasn’t aware of Hongjoong. He was some kind of illegal miracle that made it through.

Stretching his arms above his head, Mingi looked around. Changbin, Hyunjin, and Wooyoung were nearby distracted by their own things, but too close. “When we land, after everyone is asleep, head to my chamber. I have things I can show you to explain the whole story.”

He nodded. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.

“First of all, I need to apologize.” Chan started, they were all sitting on the floor of an amazingly clean warehouse. They had landed a few pooks ago in an open field full of tall light pink grass, the middle of nowhere according to San. If it weren’t for the big black warehouse standing there, there would be nothing around them for miles and miles. Just an old tree that according to San too, was just a decoration. They left the ship to look around and found another ship in the back, half-covered by long pieces of tarpaulin, where Hongjoong had retired to as soon as they opened the doors. “I put you all at risk for being too stubborn and not listening to Hongjoong and his crew. We could have avoided all this.”

They were sitting on a corner, Chan had his back against the wall, the others forming a circle around him. “We know, and we forgive you. It’s in the past already. What we need is to know how to move from here,” Jisung tapped the floor as he spoke. 

“And I know they’re very nice and helpful, but we can’t keep dragging them into our problems,” Seungmin added. “They had no obligation to save us, and they did. They had no obligation to keep helping us, and they did. Now we’re dragging them right into this ugly mess with us. Not fair.”

“He’s right!” Hyunjin nodded and Changbin followed. “We don’t have much time, and I don’t want to be the reason they face jail time. They’re outlaws, but I like them. They’re nice beings, they have feelings and they have their reason to be in this life.”

Minho chuckled with a nod. “They’re not even in the wrong, you know? I support them antagonizing the government and not following the rules. Some of them are borderline absurd.”

Chan nodded and watched all of them. “Okay. I will do my best to come up with something that won’t harm them and will get us out of this. If any of you suddenly think of something, please come to me. Meanwhile, try to rest.” 

They stood up, except for Changbin and Jisung that scooted closer to Chan. Hyunjin lingered a little, his questioning look directed at his boyfriend. “Are you staying?”

“I still need to talk to Chan about a feel things. You can join us if you want.” Changbin smiled, holding Hyunjin’s hand. 

He smiled and shook his head, kneeling down to kiss Changbin’s lips and then his cheek. “I will try to take a nap. Meet me in the chamber when you’re done.”

Changbin nodded and Hyunjin left them. When he turned around both Jisung and Chan were looking at him like he had grown a second head. “What?”

“It’s still weird. One thing is to know you two are dating. The other is to watch you two being cute.” Jisung explained. “It’s like watching my brother and his boyfriend.”

“Agreed. But it’s cute in a way.” Chan shrugged and giggled.

“Well,” Changbin started with a grin. “I bet it’s less awkward than watching your vunoi boyfriend ignoring you.”

Jisung hissed when Chan opened his mouth in shock. “Dude, Changbin just K.O’ed you. And said vunoi isn’t even your boyfriend.”

“For your information,” Chan interrupted their laughing, finger in the air, “I will fix that! I just don’t know how yet, but I will fix it. And he’s will never be my boyfriend, I like someone else and I’m sure he does too, so it’s not happening. Please stop laughing!” He whined when none of them stopped, dropping his head back against the wall. Amidst their laughs, he turned his eyes to the other ship, the one under long pieces of tarpaulin. It was parked away from the illuminated area, and the lights he saw from the windows were low, a shadow moving from one side to the other. Hongjoong had been stuck in there for a while now, and when Chan asked, people advised him to leave him for some time. He knew that feeling would nag at him for as long as he didn’t make it up to him.

On an impulse, he stood up and heard the other two stop their laughter. “Chan?” Changbin called.

“Listen, I really to talk to you both,” he turned his eyes to them, “but I won’t be able to focus on this if I don’t talk to him and fix all this first. I need his insight on the matter before we work on a plan.”

Jisung nodded with a smile. “Hyung, do what you gotta do. And follow your heart, we all just want to see you happy, you can’t keep living a lie. Sometimes things that seem very complicated are actually the most simple ones.”

“Don’t complicate it, just go for it.” Changbin gave him a thumbs up, smiling. “Just come back to us safe and sound, we need our own captain.”

Chan’s chest ached. It was funny how all of them started as trainees in a camp, working hard to get recognition and prestige big enough to be chosen for a mission. When he formed his team, following the instructions from his tutor, he had no idea how important they would all become to him. What started as a professional relationship grew into a strong bond, then a real friendship and soon they were like each other’s family members. 

No. They were each other’s chosen family. Chan loved them. And they all loved each other. With a smile he nodded, feeling the courage he needed to cross the distance towards the other ship.

In opposition to the ATZ, this ship had a white paint job, with two golden stripes from the nose to the back. It was pretty, looked newer, and better-taken care of. Chan wasn’t sure it still worked or who it belonged to, neither why it was parked there in the warehouse the boys said belonged to Hongjoong’s uncle. Maybe it was his, right? 

He was a few steps away when the door opened and Seonghwa left the ship.

“Chan!” He smiled and walked towards him. “Here to tame the wild nyon?”

He chuckled and nodded. “I owe him an apology.”

“From what I’ve heard, he owes you one too,” he shrugged. “Try to be honest, we need unity right now.”

Chan smiled as Seonghwa patted his shoulder and walked past him. “I will be honest about everything. Thank you, Seonghwa.”

The yondir waved him off without looking back. As Chan stepped on the ramp that led to the door, he knew it. This would be a very important, very definitive talk, he couldn’t mess up. It was opened, and as Chan stepped inside he could hear noises that indicated someone was moving around. It smelled good in there, somethings sweet that reminded him of vanilla and the floral mix of roses. There was also music playing, low and fitting to the poor lighting. Chan took small, tentative steps towards the light and the sound, someone sang about a starman that would like to go down to earth but is afraid humankind isn’t ready for him, so he’s waiting in the sky. Chan knew that song, he had listened to David Bowie countless times himself. The question he had was how did Hongjoong knew about David Bowie, and more importantly, how did he get his hands on that song?

The back of the ship, where the sound was coming from, had a table, the lamp illuminating thing hung from the ceiling by a wire, with cardboard boxes laying all around filled with belongings that Chan knew well: magazines, books, cassette tapes, and vinyl discs featuring artists he had listened to his whole life. Those were things from Earth, from the planet that once he called his home. 

Hongjoong had his back turned to him, he looked smaller than he was in that white tank top, his dark pants and boots looking a little too loose. His coat was hanging off a hook on the corner with his goggles. When he heard Chan, he turned around slowly, eyes flickering with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Why are you listening to David Bowie?” Chan had more questions than answers, and Hongjoong looked taken aback. “Sorry, I came here to talk but I couldn’t help noticing all this.” He waved his hands around.

“Before you accuse me of stealing these and killing earthlings, I inherited this. The ship included.” Hongjoong warned and dropped the small circle he had been working on. He took his gloves off and walked to the piece where the song was coming from. It was an old sound system that played both vinyl and cassette tapes. “My mom was a researcher, she spent years on Earth undercover, came back home with all this.”

Chan stepped closer to the box with cassette tapes, reading some of the names. “She had a really good taste in music. What happened to her?” He asked because Hongjoong seemed open enough to talk about it as he sat on some of the colorful pillows laying around. 

“Stardust.” He opened a bottle of cycle floss Chan suspected Seonghwa brought him and took a swig. “The vangron killed her. She’s stardust now.”

Chan sat on the pillow next to Hongjoong and turned his body to him. He didn’t look like he was done talking, and Chan nodded to encourage him to go on.

“For a long time, Earth had been a mystery. The zeta reticulans were the first ones that took interest in your planet, your people. Mostly because you seemed so dull it could dangerous, nobody believed such people could exist. So they sent ships there, and by being complete dumbasses, they got caught by your government and sent back, killed, whatever. Nobody really knows or cares, dumb people the reticulans.” Hongjoong sighed in annoyance and Chan smiled. It was cute. “So when these idiots came back with data about the size of Earth, how many things and people it could hold, everyone went nuts. Such a big planet, the potential to end the rest of the Universe was immense. But there was a catch: earthlings were not interested. You guys were so into your own solar system and the little useless lifeless planets there. You sent missions to find life on fucking Mars. Talk about stupid.” He glanced at Chan, making a face and Chan had to nod and agree.

“Okay, I’ll give you that. Go on.” Chan gestured like the floor was his.

“So my mom was full of herself, she thought everyone else was brainless-”

Chan interrupted him. “Ah, now I see it.”

“What do you see?” Hongjoong glared, his nose scrunching up.

“Who you took after.” Chan grinned and Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

“Shut your food hole. Anyway,” Hongjoong took another sip, his tone didn’t hold any venom. “So she thought everyone else was brainless, stupid, running around in despair when they could just go down there and check. And she did just that, she dropped her job in the government and took her ship to Earth.” He tapped the wall of the ship they were in. “She wrote a whole book about Earth, along with poems and pictures she took with a polaroid camera. She was so enchanted by everything, the differences, the people. She fell in love, Chan.”

“With Earth?”

“With an earthling.” Hongjoong chuckled and took his time drinking the cycle floss, avoiding Chan’s face. “She fell in love, and she left Earth because she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t sustain the lie she told everyone there, she couldn’t handle lying to him. But when she got back she found out the absurdity of what had happened.”

Chan frowned as pieces started to fall in place. “Why would that be so absurd?”

Hongjoong turned his body to face Chan, finally looking him in the face. “Vunoi can’t have kids with other races. It’s biologically impossible, we’re not compatible with anyone. But my mom got back and found out she was pregnant. Accidentally she discovered there is one race vunoi can procreate with: earthlings.”

He looked down in silence like he was waiting for Chan to put things together. “You’re half-human.” He stated and Hongjoong looked up, their eyes met. “You are not full vunoi, that’s why! That’s why you don’t pointy teeth like the others, you have fangs.”

“And poor night vision!” Hongjoong added bitterly.

“And poor night vi-- Wow, you have night vision?” That took him by surprise and Hongjoong laughed. His fangs were cute, it suited him. Chan didn’t know if having full pointy teeth would make him be this adorable. “It makes sense now, how Wooyoung and San were able to drive the ship perfectly in the middle of the darkness of the field ahead.”

Hongjoong nodded. “I have to wear the goggles. Both to avoid people seeing my eyes aren’t yellow and to get that night vision genetics denied me.” His sigh was dramatic. “But she hid me well. She didn’t tell anyone she was back, and when I was born she took me to her brother. I grew up there, with him. But I was still small when they took her away, saying she had important information for the government. The vangron didn’t even set a trial, Chan. They simply ended her because she refused to share information about Earth.”

Chan frowned. “Did she love Earth that much or…?”

“I like to think it was a little bit of both,” Hongjoong shrugged and smiled. “There was nothing to be shared and she wanted to protect my father, her friends. I never got to meet him, she always said she wanted to take me there, that she would show me every place she had ever been to. It’s a pity she didn’t get to do it.”

Chan shook his head. “No, it was for the best. You would have hated it. You would claim everything about it was dumb, and in a way it was. Ah, and on Earth, there is no cycle floss, it’s either water or dehydrate!” 

Hongjoong made a disgusted face. “Gross. I can’t believe I kissed someone who used to drink water, disgusting.”

He laughed because of course, Hongjoong would bring that up in the most inconvenient way. “I have been cleansed from all the water. You have nothing to worry about.”

As if to make a point, Hongjoong drank the rest of his cycle floss, throwing side glances at Chan all the time. “So this is one of the things I needed to tell you.”

“So you’re 50% vunoi 50% human” Chan stated, scooting closer to Hongjoong as if pulled by a force. It was always like this, there was always something g pulling him closer. 

Hongjoong looked shocked, he denied with his head. “I like to think I’m 85% vunoi and 15% human.” 

Of course. “I think you’re 50-50”

“Naaah, I’m more vunoi. I’m 85% vunoi.” Hongjoong affirmed.

Chan narrowed his eyes, the smile on his lips betraying him. He should feel offended, most people would. But it was endearing to hear Hongjoong act like this, it didn’t feel like genuine distaste, just him picking imaginary fights. “You really hate earthlings don’t you?”

He was quick to shake his head no. Eyes big and lips forming pouts as he spoke. “No! No! I just think you all have limited knowledge, and I feel smarter than that.” He chuckled. “So you had sex with someone who’s not even authentic. If you want the full alien sex experience, you can go to someone else. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”

“Hey, no!” It was his turn. Chan had the chance to finally apologize. “I know it sounded like that was all I wanted because I was insensitive with my words. I didn’t want to hide from Minho or anyone else what happened, I chose the words wrong.” Hongjoong opened his mouth but Chan lifted his hand to sign he still had more. “I don’t want the full alien sex experience, I would never reduce you or anyone to that. I had sex with you because I’m attracted to you like a moth to light. And you probably don’t understand that reference, but it’s a little bug that gets attracted to light and flies around it. Anyway, I am attracted to you and I guess I could be developing feelings for you. So please forgive me what I said made you feel like that.”

“Feelings?” Hongjoong’s eyes looked huge. Chan knew at that moment that he willingly stepped into a fire pit. “That makes things a little more complex.”

Chan shook his head. “No. Please, ignore that part, we have more important things to discuss. We should leave the feelings talk for some other time.” He took a deep breath and continued. “The thing is I always knew everything. Ever since I was a kid, all I did was pin information to my brain. From the most useless, random ones to important, science stuff. My parents were always fighting, and to escape it all I was always somewhere watching movies, reading books, and buying magazines about space.” He smiled and shook his head reassuringly when Hongjoong looked concerned. 

“So you have always been interested in space…” Hongjoong mumbled and Chan nodded.

“You could say that.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “So after burying myself in books and knowledge I wasn’t sure I would ever need, I started with sports. My father didn’t want me to be one of those nerds in school that gets beat up for studying too much. So I made sure to be great at those too. Swimming, running, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball. Whatever they wanted me to play, I could. Instruments? Easy. The piano, bass, guitar. I was good at everything, straight A’s, teachers loved me, girls loved me, boys hated me for five minutes and then loved me. I learned how to shape my personality around everyone else’s to make myself likable.” He opened his eyes. “But there was always a gap in everything, deep down I was not happy. I wasn’t unhappy either, it was just a gap that I longed to fill and couldn’t because nothing seemed to be the thing that fit there.”

Hongjoong nodded, listening.

Chan looked at his lap, smiling as memories flooded him. “So I aimed for a great achievement, I wanted to go to space, to see Earth from afar. I started to work hard towards my goal because I thought once I was up here, the gap would be gone. When I first set foot on Mars I felt… nothing.” He shrugged. “It felt nice, sure. To be on a planet you heard about your whole life is magical in a way, but once I was there and started working, I confess I wondered what would happen if we could just hop back in the ship and fly away. To Saturn, to the moon!” He looked up and Hongjoong held his gaze, wheels turning in his brain. “Is there even a name for this? Is there even a way to explain what it is that I needed? It’s not freedom because I was never forced to do this or that. It’s… it’s…”

“To own your path. Own your thoughts and own your life. Only when you lost everything did you realize you own yourself.” Hongjoong shrugged. “You never knew anything, and you will never know everything.”

Chan nodded. “But now I know the gap is closing. To be here, to see everything you showed us the past couple da-nubs. Past couple nubs. Those things were more than I have seen in my whole life. I have to even admit running from the police was thrilling.”

“I knew it!” Hongjoong pointed to him with a wide grin. “You’re just like me, Chan! You will never settle for a normal life because you’re a lot more than a regular job, you don’t like to follow the herd.”

“Don’t I?” Chan laughed, Hongjoong was right. He didn’t, but to voice it would break the perfection mask he so carefully crafted and wore his whole life. 

Hongjoong crawled over the pillows towards him. “You don’t. You tried to be the nice guy, the perfect little thing everybody adores. Until I didn’t fall for that. It drove you crazy more than knowing the vangron were in the wrong.” He smirked. “So you tried to condition yourself to think you were doing the right thing because you couldn’t associate your perfect self with outlaws. But the truth is you needed to antagonize me to make yourself look rightful. How could someone who was right be against you, right? So you had to make me look like the bad guy!”

Chan narrowed his eyes and giggled. “I think you’re creating a story in your head now…”

“No. I’m not.” He sat back, looking like the proudest person Chan had ever seen. “It’s okay, I forgive you. You’re on the runaway list now, we’re no different.” He turned his head to look at Chan again. “And I have to apologize too. I should’ve given you a better understanding of what goes on with the vangron.”

“Hey, I never let you. It’s okay.” Chan shook his head but Hongjoong continued.

He sighed heavily. “The day you mentioned you wanted to be legal, lead a normal life, I thought that giving you the directions for that was the right thing to do. We can’t afford sixteen people in one ship, and I couldn’t just drop you all off somewhere. I knew the vangron wouldn’t be the best choice, I don’t know why I did that. The night at the beach scared me, the only other person I felt that connection with was Seonghwa. And you have Minho. It felt wrong and messy, I wanted you gone as soon as possible.”

Hongjoong looked away, his face tinted light pink. Chan hummed and Hongjoong continued.

“Then all that happened, I blame myself for not giving you the right directions. The vangron have been undermining everyone ever since they got in power. They got their unnaturally big hands on everything regarding them online, in books, in everything and changed to look less genocidal. Every time someone tries to elect another race to take over, they turn it around and grant themselves more time. They are enslaving the remaining syabb because the little shits can read minds, and using that in their favor. They have nice ships, they have power but people are starting to rise against them.” He smiles at Chan. “If they get their hands on you humans, you’ll be just another syabb. If they don’t turn you into decorations in beautiful lockers, which is a little worse.”

“A little?”

“A little. At least you don’t have to hear vangron ordering you around all day. I pity the syabb, they would have taken over already if they weren’t like… ten or twelve people only.” He played with the empty cycle floss bottle, moving it from hand to hand. “So now we have to build a plan, and honestly it’s either fight or flight. Which would be okay, I’ve been running from them, from the police and authorities my whole life, I’m good at it and I could help you. But I’ve come to realize some things don’t work like that, and nobody can run away forever. When you least expect it someone from a stupidly useless planet will show up at your feet to teach you a couple of of things about not being a coward.”

Chan rolled his eyes as he laughed, shaking his head from side to side. “It’s about that, isn’t it? Learning and teaching.” He reached out his hand to Hongjoong. “Come here.”

Hongjoong looked at his hand, then at him before he took it and scooted closer. As Chan leaned in, slowly and waiting for Hongjoong to pull away if he wanted, he felt a kind of excitement. They had kissed before, but their hearts weren’t laid bare between them. When Hongjoong didn’t pull away, Chan closed the gap between them and their lips touched tenderly and gained some more pressure on Hongjoong’s part. As they kissed, Bowie sang about being heroes for one single day and Chan laid down on the pillows with Hongjoong by his side. The music was good, the situation felt unreal, they felt ethereal.

But not timeless. The clock was ticking.

Hongjoong left his chamber with a destination in mind. It was upsetting to look at the windows and not contemplate the cosmos because they were parked inside the warehouse. So his mind traveled one way, he needed to keep himself busy in order to think. 

With determined steps he turned to cross the corridor towards the bridge, watching the lined-up doors of chambers that were surely busy with people inside. He was reaching the end when a few doors ahead his eyes met with Seungmin’s. He was in a light blue shirt and his black boxers, messy hair, and glasses. He only noticed Hongjoong when he stopped in front of another door, and he seemed a bit uneasy to be found out. 

Hongjoong looked at the door Seungmin was about to knock on and read the name of his friend.

Song Mingi.

Raising his eyebrows, he watched as Seungmin opened his mouth to explain it, but gave up. “Seungmin, you’re smart, right? Out of all of them, you’re the smartest.”

Seungmin nodded. “I like to think so, yes.”

“Every time I look at you, you’re reading. That’s smart.” Seungmin bit his lower lip and the captain continued. “I take it you studied anatomy.”

Seungmin nodded earnestly. “Most races and species, it’s fascinating!” 

Hongjoong nodded and put his hands inside his pockets. “Good. So you’re aware of the tentacles, right?”

“Aware and... interested. Yes, I am.” Seungmin had a blush covering his face, his ears, his neck. His eyes moved from Hongjoong’s to the name by the chamber’s door. “And I think I’m ready. He offered.”

Hongjoong nodded and took some steps forward, passing him by. “Mind the tentacles. And have fun!”

“Thank you!” He heard Seungmin call when he was already closer to the bridge. Hongjoong dismissed him with one hand. Seungmin was interesting.

Hongjoong hopped of the ATZ ship and headed to his mother’s, a few steps later he was inside where Chan waited for him.

“Did you built all this?” the human asked as he inspected some guns they laid on the table earlier.

Hongjoong stopped across him. “No, of course not. I stole them.” He shrugged and scoffed when Chan gave him a look. “Don’t start.”

“I wasn’t about to. I was just thinking you probably have so many interesting stories to tell about stealing guns and selling things you also stole,” He grinned, knowing he was annoying Hongjoong.

The vunoi pulled a pair of fingerless gloves from the corner of the table, wearing them. “I don’t steal everything I sell. Some are products from trades and missions we are hired for.” He flexed his fingers, testing them. In the palm of the gloves, there was a circle with a blue screen on the center, it lit up when Hongjoong twisted his wrist, getting a small smile from him. “These collectors, sometimes they hear about an item somewhere they don’t want to go. So they hire us, we go there, fight whatever is trying to eat us, retrieve the item, get paid. It’s easy money and it keeps my kids fed.”

Chan giggled and held one of the guns, feeling it. “Such a responsible father. That’s actually pretty cool, Joongles.”

Hongjoong raised his head, frowning. “I don’t like that nickname, take it back before I kick your ass into the next galaxy.”

“Too bad now I know the way back!” Chan winked at him and Hongjoong mimicked the sound of vomiting. “I think I like this one.” Hongjoong gave him a nod.

“Choose one more, I’ll let you keep two. But do it quickly, I don’t know who’s awake. I could swear they were all gone, Seonghwa passed out the second his head hit the pillow. But then I met Seungmin on my way here, going to Mingi’s chamber, so…”

“This and this.” Chan showed him two guns and placed them on the holster Hongjoong gave him earlier. Until it hit him. “Wait. Seungmin and Mingi? Wasn’t Mingi dating Yunho?”

Hongjoong fixed one of the guns on his own holster. “Mr. Bang, there are so many things you still have to learn about. They’re not exclusive, in fact, they encourage each other to go for other people when they want. I don’t meddle with their dynamics, this is all I know.” Glancing up he met Chan’s face, looking eager to hear more. “Are you ready?”

Chan nodded. “I think so. Will you tell me where we’re going?” He circled the table and turned the lamp off, Hongjoong’s gloved hand found his and he was led to the door. 

They stopped there and Chan felt lips on the corner of his for a fleeting moment. “A bar downtown. You will see how things work, and I need you to leave the goodness in you behind. We might need to play the bad guys.”

This was so unfair. Not the playing the bad guys part, but how Hongjoong got to make him feel so ready to do anything. “And may I know who will be at the receiving end of our anger?”

Hongjoong tugged his hand. They left the ship and headed to the back door where a smaller vehicle was parked. It looked like a mini version of the ATZ for two people only. “We’re going after the only vangron I can afford talking to. Probably the only one with a heart.”

“And why should we be mean to him, then?” Chan jumped inside the vehicle along with Hongjoong. Both buckled up, and after pressing a few buttons the small ship lifted itself off the ground and the back door to the warehouse opened. 

He laughed bitterly as they flew outside. “Having a heart doesn’t cancel the fact that he’s a vangron. I still want to beat the shit out of him.” Chan thought Hongjoong looked dangerous like this, sounding so ready to jump a vangron. But it was also exciting to know he was finally helping in something, he was finally ready to fight for what he believed in. It shouldn’t feel so good how this mad man made him feel invincible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update! My classes are back, I'm struggling trying to find a job and mental health is non-existent in a pandemic. 
> 
> Thank you for waiting! Please let me know what you think of this chapter? <3

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are VERY appreciated and it keeps me motivated, so if you have time, please say something? <3
> 
> I am almost all day on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/br0kenc0mpasss) and I love to interact. Please check my pinned for more info. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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